The Wedding Present
by Predec2
Summary: On the eve of their wedding, Justin makes a shocking discovery that will change Brian's life.
1. Letting Go, Finding Something New

**A/N: Okay - I promised myself I wouldn't do this right after finishing "Remember Me," but this story nagged me into it - LOL! Here goes...**

* * *

_Joan Kinney's House – Late Afternoon_

Justin wiped some blond hair that had fallen into his eyes as he sat on the bedroom floor sorting through a large-sized jewelry armoire. "How's it going in there, Michael?" he called out to his friend in the other room. He shook his head at the mere size of the jewelry boxes piled high in front of him. There was no way this woman could have possibly used all this jewelry in her lifetime. He vaguely thought about the irony of such a so-called, God-fearing woman being so hung up on fancy jewelry before he heard Michael's footsteps approaching.

"Well, I think I've finally got all of her dishes boxed up," he announced. He shook his head in disbelief. "How one woman could collect so many glasses, let alone _use_ them, is beyond me. I say we just call 1-800-Got-Junk and be done with it."

Justin smirked. "Believe me, I've considered it. But I'm afraid if we do that, we might miss something that Brian might actually want to keep." At Michael's look of doubt, he added, "I know…..she was a cold, inconsiderate ice queen, and Brian told us to shuck it all in the garbage. But she was still Brian's _mother_. He might want to at least keep some family photos or some item of hers, even if it's just in case Gus might want something for himself later."

"A _fond _memento of the grandmother you'd like to _hate?" _Michael responded dryly. "You didn't see the woman when Brian was growing up. His prick of a father would beat him up regularly in a drunken stupor, and the woman would just stay out of the way and pretend she didn't notice his black eyes and bruises. It's not too likely Gus will have any warm, fuzzy feelings for her – ever."

Joan Kinney had somewhat unexpectedly died about a week ago; she had returned home after attending mass with her reluctant daughter, Claire, early Monday evening and had been found the next morning at the kitchen table, slumped over from a massive heart attack the previous night before. When Brian had heard the news at Kinnetik that morning, his reaction was of a man who had heard instead that someone's pet rabbit had died. He simply shrugged before saying, "Well, I'm sure the angels are singing over her arrival – _down under_," before he returned to his laptop to review his latest client's advertising account. When Justin had offered to help him pack up his mother's house in preparation for sale, he had told his fiancé to do whatever the fuck he wanted with the junk – he didn't want to see so much as a pillowcase. He told Justin and Michael to either throw all the stuff out or donate it to whatever – he didn't care. His mother hadn't understood him or accepted him for what he was, so the last thing he wanted was to memorialize her life in any way now that she was finally dead.

Instead of following Brian's orders, however, Justin had persuaded Michael instead to methodically examine the entire contents of Joan Kinney's house to save anything that Brian might want later. He didn't know if Brian would ever feel comfortable reminiscing about his childhood or any member of his family, but Justin wasn't ready just yet to throw it all away. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he held out hope that _something_ in Brian's childhood had at least contained some source of happiness for him; the thought of Brian growing up with _nothing_ pleasant in his family made him feel extremely sad for his partner.

He was brought out of his reverie by Michael asking, "Hey…I'm pretty much done in the kitchen. It's the standard corny knick knacks, although it doesn't quite compare to Maw's ceramic kitten or religious towels." He and Justin shared a chuckle over that memory in the past when Debbie had tried to donate some of her _treasures_ to Justin when he had been separated temporarily from Brian. "I promised Ben and Hunter I'd be home by dinner time so we could go out to a movie together." At Justin's bemused smile, he added, "I know – it's corny. But, hey, what can I say? I've been infected with suburbia fever," he said sheepishly.

Justin smiled. "It's okay…..actually, I think it's kind of nice," he told him softly. "That's fine – go. I'm only going to stay for a little while longer. I'm sure Claire no doubt has already gone through all of her mother's jewelry and taken out the valuable stuff. I just want to get this bagged up for Goodwill and take a look at that shoebox I found in the closet before I leave."

Michael glanced over at the small alarm clock on Claire's nightstand, noticing it was almost 6:00. "Sounds good. We shouldn't have to stay here too long tomorrow – looks like we've only got the living room to go through now. How about we meet here around 10:00? We should be able to finish up pretty quickly."

Justin nodded. "I'll see you then," he responded as Michael bade him a quick goodbye and headed out of Brian's childhood home. Justin let out a heavy sigh; he hated going through other people's things but especially _this_ woman. In all the years Justin had known his fiancé, the woman had never supported him or accepted his lifestyle. Once she had found out Brian was gay, she spent the remainder of what little time she deigned to spend with him constantly reminding her son that he would burn in Hell for the way he lived and scolding him for what he was "selfishly" putting HER through. How Brian had managed not to punch her fucking lights out was beyond him; on the few occasions where he had had the unfortunate circumstance to be in the same room with her, it was all he could do not to undertake that mission himself on Brian's behalf. He was convinced that there was a God the day the woman had finally died, because now Brian could finally have the heavy burden of two uncaring son of a bitches lifted from his shoulders permanently.

Finally bagging up the tangled mess of jewelry fifteen minutes later, Justin rose from the floor, about to retrieve the dented, ancient orange-colored cardboard shoebox he had found on the top shelf of the bedroom closet when he heard his cell phone ring. Retrieving it from the nearby mattress, he flipped it open and, smiled as he recognized the caller. "Hey."

"Hey yourself, Sunshine." As usual, his heart beat just a little faster at the affectionate tone in his partner's voice. "Where _are_ you? Are we still on for dinner tonight? Or now that I finally proposed again, have you already dropped me for a new plaything?" he drawled, unable to keep the teasing tone out of his voice. After all this time, Brian knew where Justin's heart lay, and where it had _always_ lain – firmly with him.

Justin chuckled softly as he played along with his partner. "Yeah….I thought now that I have you wrapped around my finger, I needed to find a new diversion on the side. I can marry you for your money and get my kicks at the same time."

Brian laughed. "In your _dreams_, Sunshine." He knew Justin wasn't going anywhere, and Justin _knew_ he knew it. "Just make sure you're done fucking the other guy before 7:00, okay? I'm not paying for your _boy toy's_ dinner, too."

"Did you hear that, boy toy?" Justin pretended to be calling out to an imaginary lover. "No surf and turf for you." He was silent for a few seconds before he told Brian, "That's okay – he says he's _stuffed_ already. I guess he's just stuffed to the brim with _love_."

Brian snickered. "He's full of _something_, all right. If you can tear yourself away from him, I'm about ready to leave here. I'll see you at Tony's at 7:00 – _alone_, got it?"

Justin laughed. "I got it, Mr. Kinney. No boy toy. I'll see you then. Later."

"Later, _Stud_," was the impertinent, kidding reply before Brian ended their conversation.

Justin smiled; he had never felt as happy as he did right now. He had returned from New York after a year of commuting back and forth between there and Pittsburgh before he finally decided he had had enough of his and Brian's long-distance relationship. His inspiration had always been in Pittsburgh, as well as his heart, and once he had decided to return, he never looked back. He had been back for about two months, delighted to be reunited with his partner, before Brian had unexpectedly surprised him with another marriage proposal. Brian had had to do a lot of convincing to persuade him that he _really_ did want to get married; it seemed that his partner's separation from him had served to prove to Brian that being committed to one person wasn't such a bad thing after all. After several days of discussion and some intense fucking along the way, Brian had finally convinced him that he really _did _want the ceremony, the rings, and the paper. Once he had been sure of it, Justin didn't have a problem at all in agreeing to it.

Unfortunately, Brian's mother's death a week later had tarnished the occasion somewhat. At least Justin could help his fiancé by cleaning his mother's home out and preparing it for sale. In a way, that might be considered a wedding present to him, but Justin wanted something more – something special befitting the special man that Brian was. He was at a loss, however, as to what to get him. He had painted Brian more times than he could count by now, and had given him all sorts of material, designer-label trinkets to cater to his partner's taste for nothing but the best. But now he was in a quandary. What else was left to give him?

He pondered over that dilemma as he reached up to grab the shoebox and carry it over to the bed, where he sat down next to it. He had spied the box earlier when he had taken Joan Kinney's clothes out of her closet and had moved some hatboxes that were stacked in front of it. He initially thought it contained just a pair of shoes; but upon picking it up, he noticed the word, "_Papers,"_ scrawled on top of the box and a line of clear tape running around the border. He had wondered about the box's contents the entire time he was clearing out the rest of the bedroom; now that he was finally done sorting through all the jewelry, he was eager to satisfy his curiosity and find out what was inside the worn container that had apparently previously contained a pair of Size 7 leather shoes from some place called _Baker's._

He reached over to the nightstand to retrieve a pair of scissors he had found earlier in the drawer and ran the blade around the perimeter of the box. Curiously, he opened the top to peer inside. The box did, indeed, contain a bunch of mostly yellowed papers, reflecting they had been there for some time. As he picked up a newspaper clipping detailing a luncheon being held for a former mayor of Pittsburgh in 1974, he could feel the dust on his fingertips and smell the mustiness. He placed each piece of paper down on the bed as he methodically examined each one, disappointed that the box apparently contained nothing more exciting than a boring woman's interest in political gossip and cooking recipes. He had actually hoped the box would at least hold some early photos of Brian; except for the one picture he had seen of a teenaged Brian and Michael that one time in Michael's bedroom, he had never seen any early photos of his fiancé. He would have loved to have seen what Brian had looked like growing up; he imagined his partner had always been extremely attractive like he was now, only not in such an overtly sensual, elegant way. He had probably looked a lot like Gus, in fact, since Gus' facial expressions and body language constantly reminded him of his father.

He sighed, resigned to yet another trivial trip down the bizarre memory lane of Joan Kinney. Nothing he had seen in the woman's house had led him to change his opinion about Brian's mother, nor would it likely engender any affection from his partner toward his mother. It seemed that Brian had accurately pegged both his mother and father for exactly what they had _appeared _to be: unfeeling, cold, heartless people who were simply baby makers, NOT parents in the true sense of the word.

Justin was about to place all of the bland newspaper clippings back into the box when he spied one last piece of paper he had almost overlooked lying at the very bottom. As he picked it up, he noticed that unlike the other pieces of paper, this one apparently wasn't a clipping from any newspaper. It was folded into thirds, and was blank on the outside. As he fingered it, he noted how brittle it felt to his touch. He gingerly unfolded it to unveil an official-looking document bordered by a scroll design.

As he carefully scanned the paper, his eyes widened in stunned disbelief. He sat there for several seconds, trying to absorb what he had read and re-reading it to make sure he had understood the contents correctly. "My God," he whispered to himself. "I don't believe this." He stood up, the paper clutched gently in his hands, which were now shaking.

The other contents of the cardboard box now completely forgotten, he refolded the piece of paper and held it almost reverently in his hand. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he turned to pick up his phone and place it in his pocket in preparation for meeting Brian at Tony's for dinner.

Glancing at the nearby clock and noting that it was now 6:30, he turned to leave, the paper now held firmly in his hand. He smiled as he realized he finally knew what special present he was going to give Brian.


	2. Withholding and Revealing Information

_Tony's Restaurant – 7:00 p.m._

Brian peered across the table at his fiancé, who was presently picking at his food; he was swirling his fork around on a plate that contained his favorite dish, chicken parmesan, but from what Brian could tell Justin hadn't taken more than a couple of bites since the waiter had delivered it about fifteen minutes ago. If his partner's reluctance to eat hadn't been a signal that something was occupying his thoughts, that fact that he hadn't said more than a couple of sentences in the past five minutes was a fucking alarm bell. Add those two facts together and it was a definite cause for curiosity and maybe concern when it came to his normally talkative and ravenous partner.

Brian cleared his throat. "And then after I got done fucking Collin Farrell in the washroom, I moved on to Ben Affleck. Of course, then Neil Patrick Harris wanted to join us for a threesome. Unfortunately I must say that he's not all he's cracked up to be." Brian waited several seconds for a response but to his consternation he didn't get one. Exasperated, he sighed loudly. Still no response.

Deciding that perhaps a more _tactile _approach would get a certain someone's attention, he placed his fork down and, forgetting his shrimp primavera, reached across to take one of Justin's slender hands in his; at last he received an acknowledgment of his presence when the blond looked up and smiled at him softly as Brian slowly caressed his hand with his thumb. At least whatever was occupying his partner's mind apparently didn't have something to do with him, or at least something he did _wrong._ "You wanna tell me what's on your mind tonight, Sunshine? Are you resenting having to leave your boy toy to come out and play with the _old man_ for a while?" he teased him gently. The fact that he could even _joke_ about getting older showed him that either his relationship with Justin had come a long way or he really WAS getting _soft_ in his "old age."

Justin smiled back at him tenderly. He thought of continuing to play along with Brian about his imaginary _lover on the side_, but thought better of it; besides, just feeling Brian slowly stroking his hand with his thumb was making him just a little crazy as well as distracted. He marveled at how after all this time the man could still do that to him with the slightest touch, but he was so glad he still _could_, for he had no intention of going anywhere, nor of letting this man somehow squirm out of his proposal to him. _You're getting married to me, Brian Kinney, whether you fucking like it or not_, he vowed to both of them silently.

"No," Justin told him aloud, playing along one last time. "I had to let the _boy toy _down softly – he was getting a little too clingy for my taste. I told him to take a hike," he cracked. "He knew he couldn't compete with the _master_."

Brian snorted, amused by his partner's attempt at stroking his ego. He had to admit, though, even after all this time, it still felt good. Justin didn't seem particularly upset or concerned about anything; so just what was going on in that little blond head of his?

"How's the chicken parmesan?" Brian asked him casually as if he were merely making light conversation. He continued to sensually stroke his partner's slender hand, his thumb rubbing back and forth on top of the soft, warm skin.

"It's fine," Justin told him just a little too readily; Brian could feel the pulse point on the pale wrist beating rapidly in response to his caress. _I still got it,_ he couldn't help thinking just a little boastfully. But at the same time, he thought Justin's answer was just a little too fast and a little too pat.

He whispered to his partner, "Well if it's _fine_, why aren't you _eating_ it, Sunshine? Could it be because you want to go home and eat _something else _instead?" he asked teasingly, his lips curling under.

Justin smirked as he looked over at his partner's beautiful face full of "supposed" innocence. He countered, "Well, while that is certainly an intriguing invitation, Mr. Kinney, maybe I'd better get this to go just in case I get _hungry _later, since you may be the only one _eating_ something then."

Brian couldn't help grinning just a little at that remark. Despite Justin's attempt to divert him, however, he still wanted to know what was occupying his fiancé's mind so much tonight. "I'll be looking forward to that, Sunshine, but you _still_ haven't told me what's eating YOU. If you're not talking OR eating, you've definitely got something important on your mind. So spill," he commanded him.

Justin looked down at his mainly-untouched plate of food. He could feel Brian's heated gaze on him as he pondered what to say. Should he reveal what he had discovered in his mother's closet? Was this the right place even to bring it up? What would be Brian's reaction to the news – would he be glad, angry that Justin had interfered, skeptical, or a combination of all three? He was dying to tell him but he desperately wanted to keep the information as a surprise. He wasn't sure how successful he would be in his search for Brian's present and he didn't want to get his hopes up. There were just too many variables involved and he was afraid the man he loved so deeply would wind up getting hurt even more if things did not turn out the way Justin hoped they would. His desire to not hurt his partner warred with his guilt over lying to him as he finally decided he just couldn't tell him yet. He _would_ eventually – no matter what he found out – but right now it just wasn't the right time.

"I'm fine," he finally said, trying hard to keep his voice level. He looked up to meet Brian's gaze as the brunet continued to slowly stroke his hand; Justin could feel the warmth radiating through the soft caress, which only made it more difficult to look at him as he was forced to lie. "Really. I'm just a little tired, I guess, and my stomach's been kind of queasy today." That part, at least, was somewhat true; he felt a little sick to his stomach, but not because of any illness. It was the same type of feeling he experienced when he had felt compelled to keep his relationship with Ethan a secret from him. _God – I hope I'm doing the right thing here_.

Brian stilled his hand in Justin's as he studied his partner's face carefully; he could tell _something_ was on his mind, but he couldn't tell what by the expression on his face. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" he asked him softly, remembering all too well what he had done to Justin during his cancer crisis. At the time, he thought he had been doing the right thing when he tried to withhold the information from him; that had proceeded to blow up in his face, though, once Justin had found out and roundly berated him for it. Truth be told, once Justin had confronted him about him being selfish and too _noble_, it had actually made his passage through the tortuous rounds of chemo and radiation much more bearable, because Justin had been there to support him. If he found out now that something was wrong with HIM, he didn't know if he could be as strong, but he WANTED to be. "Justin?" he repeated firmly when he did not get a quick reply. _Okay, Sunshine – better start talking now before I start imagining all sorts of terrible things…._

Justin sighed softy. He _hated_ lying to Brian – he knew how much trouble that had caused him before – but he couldn't risk Brian's disappointment if his gift did not turn out the way he hoped it would. "I _said_ I'm fine, Brian," he said just a little too sharply. As the waiter carried over a white Styrofoam takeout container, he removed his hand from Brian's and stood up to go. "Can we leave now?" he asked the brunet, more gently this time. "I'm really not feeling well," he told his partner in explanation, which was not quite an untruth. The more he lied to Brian, the worse he was beginning to feel. If his plans turned out the way he hoped, however, it would make it all worthwhile.

Brian looked over at him questioningly. "Okay," he finally said, his eyes never leaving his partner. He would drop it for now, but he wouldn't forget it; _something_ was definitely going on. He strongly bit back a tendril of doubt as he stood up to join his partner's side. As Justin turned to go, Brian placed his hand gently on the small of his partner's back as he led him toward the door, earning a tender smile from the blond in return as Justin reached to clasp his hand in his. Heartened by his reaction, he smiled back softly at him as they exited the restaurant, hand in hand.

_

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_

Next Morning – 10:3

_0 – Joan Kinney's House_

"About time," Michael grumbled good naturedly as Justin hurried through the front door. "I thought I had the time wrong for a while," he added, looking over at the other man from his perch on the living room couch. Several small cardboard boxes were scattered on the floor nearby as he sorted through the remainder of the woman's knick knacks that had held prominence yesterday on several nearby built-in shelves. "Someone force you to _sleep in_ this morning?" he asked meaningfully.

Justin smirked. Brian _had _kept him "busy" last night once they got home and he had been able to reassure him that he really was okay; it had taken several bouts of kissing and caressing to convince him, but Justin hadn't minded. Any opportunity to make love with Brian was always a good thing in _his_ book. He _hated_ keeping secrets from him, though; somehow it made him feel dirty and unfaithful, even though it had _nothing_ to do with cheating on him. For the umpteenth time since last night, he questioned if he was doing the right thing. He looked over at Michael; should he enlist the advice of his fiancé's best friend? He thought Michael could be very helpful in perhaps filling in some of the pieces of the puzzle, but could he trust him not to let something slip out to Brian? Even though Michael always means well, it wouldn't be the _first _time Michael hadn't been able to keep a secret; unpleasant memories of Brian's cancer and his reaction to Justin withholding his knowledge of it filtered through his mind. Michael's inability to keep their knowledge a secret had made for some extremely rough times in his and Brian's relationship.

Deciding he couldn't take the chance, he responded apologetically, "I'm sorry, Michael. It wasn't _that_. I was doing some research on the internet." He had spent the last few hours searching for answers to the piece of paper he had found in the shoebox; at every turn, though, he had simply run into a dead end.

As Justin walked over to sit down next to him, Michael asked curiously, "_Research? _What KIND of _research?_"

Justin exhaled a long breath before answering as smoothly as he could, "Just some research about a painting I want to do." As he spoke, his left hand fingered the brittle, folded certificate he had discovered last night. _I hope lightning doesn't strike me down right now_. He was a little disconcerted by just how smoothly that lie had left his tongue. But it WAS for a good reason, he told himself. He just couldn't take the chance that Michael wouldn't be able to keep his confidence. If things turned out badly for Brian, he would still tell him about the paper but he would wait until _after_ they were married and came back from their honeymoon; it wouldn't make any difference in the result and it wouldn't spoil the plans that both of them were so avidly looking forward to.

Michael didn't seem to notice if Justin was nervous. "Well, I'm glad you're here," he continued. "I need some newspaper to wrap some of these _valuables_ in," he said sarcastically. "Did you see any lying around here yesterday when you were packing up some of her other things?"

Justin was glad that Michael had changed the subject so quickly. "Yeah," he told him. "I saw some bagged up out in the garage. I'll go get it and help you take care of them. This should be all that's left to do." Before he gave Michael a chance to question him any more about his _research_ activities, he quickly stood up and walked into the kitchen toward the garage entry door. As he opened it and walked into the garage, he stood with his back to the door and sighed in relief. He blew out a breath as he reached down to grab a nearby paper bag filled with newspapers and return to the house.

An hour later, he and Michael had finally finished packing up everything and identifying where it would be donated to before Michael drove him toward Liberty Avenue. Justin was glad he didn't have to catch the bus back into town, because he needed to be dropped off near the 16th Precinct Police Station. He wasn't about to tell Michael that, however; instead, he made up a pretense that he wanted to be dropped off at the library just down the street. After he had told Michael he was doing research for a painting, he knew Brian's best friend wouldn't question why he wanted to go there.

As soon as Michael had dropped him off and Justin was satisfied that the other man was out of sight, he turned toward the right and walked quickly down the street approximately half a block before he trotted up the steps of the police station. The sounds of keyboards, phones ringing, and voices speaking at all volume levels assaulted his senses as soon as he opened the door and walked in. Fortunately, he knew the location of the office normally occupied by the person he was seeking; turning toward the left, he walked down the rather narrow hallway a short distance and looked through the open, louvered blinds of an office. He smiled slightly as he recognized the man he was looking for, thinking, _it certainly paid to know_ _friends in high places_. The man he was seeking looked up from his desk just then and smiled, motioning with his hand to come in. Justin nodded and walked over to open the door.

"Justin? Wow, it's been a while! How ARE you, son? How's New York treating you?" Carl Horvath asked him, smiling. "Sit down." He motioned for Justin to take the seat opposite his desk as he leaned back curiously in his scuffed up, black leather chair.

"Hi, Carl…..Yeah, I guess it HAS been a while. Actually, I've been back in town for a couple of months now. In fact, as hard as it is to believe, Brian and I are engaged again. This time, though, we're actually _going through with it_," he said, determinedly. "REALLY." He knew how all of their friends had endured their first engagement and subsequent _un-engagement_ shortly thereafter. If Justin had anything to say about it, the fucking _world_ would have to come crashing down before he wouldn't marry his man THIS time.

Carl shook his head in surprise but he was smiling. "That's _great!"_ he told him sincerely; he had always liked this young man from the first day they had met. Unlike some of Debbie's "lost boys," Justin always seemed to have his head screwed on straight. "Congratulations," he told him; he really DID mean it – if Brian made this young man happy, and it appeared the feeling was mutual, he really WAS happy for both of them. "What brings you here to the wonderful world of forensics and just plain old grunt work?"

Justin reached into his pocket and retrieved the decaying, yellowed piece of paper he had found yesterday evening. "First of all, Carl, I need to ask that you keep this confidential, even from Debbie." At his look of concern and suspicion, he hastened to add, "It doesn't involve Debbie at all – it's just something to do with Brian and I don't want to get his hopes up or anything until I know for sure what's going on."

Carl stared at him, puzzled, as Justin began to unfold an old-looking piece of paper. As long as it didn't affect Debbie negatively in some way, he didn't have a problem, at least for now, keeping a secret from her. He just prayed it wouldn't be such earth shattering news that he would find it difficult to keep it from her; when it came to being secretive about something, his girlfriend was like a virtual _bloodhound_. Extremely curious now himself, he took the proffered piece of paper from Justin and opened it carefully to peer at the contents. "Wow," he whispered aloud as he realized the ramifications. "I had heard about Brian's mother passing away last week. Debbie had also told me that you and Michael had been able to convince Brian to let you clean out her house for him. I bet you never thought you would run into something like _this_, though." He shook his head in stunned surprise as he read through the official-looking information. "Does Brian know about this?" he asked, peering over at Justin, who was nervously twisting his hands in his lap.

Justin grimaced. "No," he verified. "I haven't told him _anything_ about what I found. That's why I'm here to see YOU." As Carl's eyebrows rose in question, he explained. "I'd like to hire a private detective to do some research for me and help me track down the people listed on the paper. I was hoping you might be able to recommend someone good – and hopefully _fast_. Brian and I are planning on getting married on the grounds at Britin in less than a month, and I'm hoping to use this to find his wedding present."

Carl nodded as realization hit him. If Justin could be successful in his search, he agreed it would certainly be the wedding present to end _all _presents. He knew how close Debbie regarded both Brian AND Justin. If only for that reason, he would do whatever he could to help one of Debbie's "adoptive sons." "Well, I DO have one man I've used that I think is very good. He's organized, analytical, and very detail-oriented. Plus he has numerous contacts throughout the state." He glanced over the contents of the certificate once more. "From what I can tell, it appears he can limit his search to Pennsylvania. That should make the search much easier than if he had to take it nationwide."

Justin nodded. "That's what I thought, too. Can you give me his name and phone number? I'd like to get started on this right away."

"Sure thing," Carl told him, reaching over to grab a 5 X 8 pad of paper and a pen. Flipping open his cell phone, he scrolled down to find the name and number he was looking for before he wrote the information down on the paper. "Here you go," he said, handing it to Justin. "I'll tell you what. Why don't I call him and just let him know you'll be contacting him? I can give him a heads up on what you need."

Justin stood up and smiled gratefully. "That'd be _great_, Carl! Thank you; I really appreciate it. Can you tell him I'll give him a call when I get back to the loft? Brian's at work so I can call the guy without Brian knowing about it."

Carl nodded as he stood up to shake Justin's hand. "No problem, Justin." As Justin nodded in farewell, the detective called out, "Good Luck," before Justin opened the door to leave. As he watched the young man departing, he watched him silently, hoping that Justin's goal would be reached and he would be successful with the wedding present that would surpass all other wedding presents.

As Justin closed the door to the police station, his hand settled on the precious piece of paper now once again folded up protectively in his pocket. Shaking his head at the irony, he realized that if he was successful, Joan Kinney would finally be able to give Brian in death what she had never been able to give him in life: love, respect, and more importantly, a _family_.


	3. Questions and Some Answers

_**A/N: Okay - for all you going crazy over what's on the paper, you're about to find out. And for those of you who already guessed - well, you're ahead of the game - LOL! Here goes:**_

* * *

Justin looked up surprised from the wok he was preparing to use as he heard Brian swinging the heavy, metal door to the side; the blond was glad he had begun their dinner early, since Brian was home thirty minutes sooner than he normally would be. He attributed that to his partner's concern about his demeanor at dinner last night. Justin should have realized that not talking _plus_ not eating would have set off alarm bells in his fiancé's head; he hoped, then, that taking the time to fix dinner for the two of them would help to allay his partner's fears and suspicions.

"Hey," he called over to the brunet affectionately, who placed his briefcase down on the nearby table before walking over to him. "Hey yourself," Brian responded softly, as he walked over behind Justin and placed his hands around the smaller man to lock his arms around his waist; Justin instinctively leaned back against the taller frame as he felt a pair of lips on his cheek. He sighed in contentment as he savored being held in Brian's arms; he always felt so safe and protected in that warm embrace.

Brian held Justin tightly against his own body, relishing how well the two of them fit together. He would never grow old of this feeling for as long as he lived. "What's in the brew, _hot stuff_?" he teased his fiancé, who chuckled softly.

"Well, the grocery was all out of eye of newt and bat wings," he quipped impertinently as he grinned back at his lover. He turned his head briefly to the side and was immediately met by a pair of well-known lips for a passionate kiss. "Mmmm," Justin hummed as they finally broke apart. "I must say that beats even _this_ dish."

Brian smiled as he leaned down to rest his head next to his lover's. "Which would be _what_?" he softly asked, his warm breath tickling Justin's ear and making him shiver slightly in response. "I still haven't gotten the answer to whatever this shit is that you're planning on poisoning me with."

He laughed as he felt a slight jab to his side. "This _shit_, as you so elegantly put it, is moo goo gai pan," he informed the other man proudly.

Brian pulled Justin back more firmly against his body as he locked his arms even tighter around the slight form. "Well, it might not be _shit_," he growled, his breath a whispering caress as he bit down on a tender earlobe, "but it _STILL_ sounds like it's baby food."

Justin giggled and started to open his mouth before a lean, muscled hand promptly clamped itself over it. "Don't even say it," came the husky warning. Justin playfully bit down on his lover's fingers.

"Ow! Fucking _carnivore_!" Brian snarled as he quickly snatched his hand back to Justin's delight; as he sucked on his injured finger, however, Brian had to smile at the sound he heard; the laughter bubbling from his partner was a welcome and decided departure from the quiet-as-a-mouse man he had dined with yesterday evening at _Tony's_.

He whirled the other man around, who was looking very pleased with himself at his successful attempt to defend himself. Brian grasped his partner by his upper arms and smirked as his lips curled under; he didn't miss the quick glimpse of a pink tongue that playfully darted out from those plump, kissable lips he knew – and _loved_ – so well. "Pleased with yourself, are you, Mr. Taylor?" he quipped lightly, receiving a vigorous nod in response and a smile. He chuckled and shook his head; God, how he _loved_ to hear that sound! "You're really something, you know that?" he asked Justin, who readily nodded in agreement.

"I know," he replied, smiling. "I am. That's why you love me deeply, madly, passionately…" he sing-songed, just like he had so long ago. To Brian it seemed like ages ago, but he could still remember it vividly. At the time though, he didn't quite realize just how true a declaration that would wind up being. "Yes…..I _do_," he replied softly, not afraid any more to admit his feelings to this special man.

As he reached behind his fiancé to turn off the stove's burner, the _mo goo gai pan_ was quickly forgotten as they began to remove each other's clothing and proceeded to engage in their own special, incomparable version of _dinner_.

* * *

"So do you have any special plans for today?" Brian asked his lover as he lay in bed the next morning on his side facing the other man; he idly twirled a strand of soft blond hair around one of his long fingers as he marveled at the silky feel. He adored Justin's hair, especially when it was longer like it was now.

Justin smiled softly as he reached up to clasp Brian's hand in his. He relished these moments in bed when Brian didn't have to hurry and get dressed for work; he wasn't quite sure why his partner was choosing to stay in bed right now and, yes, _cuddle_ with him, but he wasn't going to question it – he was simply enjoying it too much. As he thought about his appointment this afternoon with the private investigator he had spoken to yesterday, however, it was hard to keep his nervousness out of his voice as he responded, "Not really. I thought I'd take my mom out to lunch and get caught up on what's going on with her, then maybe visit the park downtown and do a little sketching." He absolutely fucking _hated_ to lie to this man that he loved so much, but he couldn't risk hurting him, either, if his search turned out to be unsuccessful. For now, then, he would have to keep this special man in the dark, at least for a while. Besides, it wouldn't be a wedding present if it told Brian too soon about what he had discovered; their wedding wasn't until almost a month later.

Brian nodded and leaned over to give his lover a gentle kiss on the nose. He said apologetically, "Well, _Mr_. _Man of Leisure_, I have to get ready for work. Two fucks this morning will have to keep your _juices flowing_ until I get home later."

"If you don't get out of bed _right now_, my juices are going to start _overflowing_ as we speak," he hissed, as Brian wrapped a firm hand around his quickly hardening cock. "Brian….," he said, pleading for mercy.

Brian laughed wickedly before giving his cock one last squeeze and throwing his long, taut legs around to swing them down on the floor. As he stood up, he turned his torso around just long enough to smile, raise one curved eyebrow and give his lover a wink before he walked into the bathroom to take his shower.

Justin smiled tenderly as his plopped over on the bed to lie on his back and listen to the sound of water running. _How he loved this man_…He dearly hoped that his visit this afternoon with the private investigator Carl had recommended would be the start of an eventual journey for both him _and especially _Brian.

_

* * *

_

Downtown Pittsburgh – 1:20 p.m.

Justin fidgeted on the balls of his feet as he waited impatiently for the elevator to take him up to the 15th floor of the Baldwin Building. For at least the tenth time, he gingerly opened up the folded document he had carefully carried with him ever since he had first laid eyes on it a few days ago and reread the contents again. No matter how many times he looked at it, he always came up with the same opinion; in a matter of minutes, he had a feeling he would know if his instincts were right or not.

The slowing of the elevator and bell chiming overhead brought him out of his studious review of the paper as he carefully refolded it and held it in his hand firmly. A few minutes later, he found himself in front of a frosted-glass door with the words, _Lockwood Investigations_, written across the front. He let out a nervous breath as he pushed the door open to enter.

A female assistant sat behind a polished, curved oak desk approximately 10 feet from the door. The woman, who was blonde and appeared to be in her early 30's, smiled as he approached her. "May I help you, Sir?" she asked.

Justin took a steadying swallow before he replied, "Yes. My name is Justin Taylor. I have an appointment with Mr. Lockwood at 1:30."

She smiled back at him in recognition. "Yes, I have your name listed. Please have a seat and he'll be with you shortly." She motioned over to a couch placed alongside a nearby wall as Justin nodded and walked over to take a seat, his legs jiggling nervously in impatient anticipation.

Fortunately, he didn't have but a couple of minutes to wait before the assistant called for him to follow her to her boss' office. As she opened a door at the end of the hallway and Justin entered, he was immediately drawn toward the wall of windows directly behind the man sitting at a glass-topped desk covered with a computer and all sorts of paperwork. Justin decided that he would prefer someone who appeared to have current work on his desk rather than a neatnik for the task he had in mind for the investigator; he was actually glad, then, to see that the man wasn't exactly determined to be a spic and span type.

He noted the man's apparel as the 40ish, dark-haired, slightly overweight man rose to shake his hand; the man was wearing a casual, button-down shirt and jeans. "Mr. Taylor? I'm Darrell Lockwood." As he smiled and released Justin's hand, he motioned with his hand for him to sit down. "Please – take a seat."

"Thank you," Justin told him, turning to sit down at one of the two padded, rather worn leather chairs sitting opposite the rather imposing desk. "I think Mr. Horvath has already told you what I needed," he began as he fingered the folded document in his hand.

Lockwood nodded. "Yes…..He told me you were interested in tracking down a couple of people," he advised him. "He said you would be bringing the document with you." He leaned back slightly in his chair to study the young, rather nervous-looking blond-haired man whose vivid blue eyes were staring back at him with some trepidation as well as excitement.

Justin nodded, extending his hand that was clutching the folded, precious, yellowed piece of paper. As the man took it and began to carefully open it up to look at it, Justin explained, "I was cleaning out my partner's mother's house after she passed away, and found an old shoebox in her bedroom closet. It was full of papers – mostly newspaper clippings – but this was at the very bottom. I wanted to have you take a look at it to verify it's what I think it is, and if it is, to hopefully find the two people indicated on it."

He watched, holding his breath, as the man carefully scrutinized it for several seconds. "Well, if you think it's related to an adoption, I can verify that you're correct," he stated with certainty, eliciting a shaky breath and an excited nod from his would-be client. "This is the exact version of what they would have used in the early 70's for voluntary child surrenders in Pennsylvania," he reported.

The certificate, 8 ½ by 11 inches in size, had the words _Voluntary Relinquishment to Agency_ written in flowing scroll letters across the top of it. Below that were subheadings for several pieces of information: the mother's name, father's name, mother's marital status at the time of relinquishment, the name, age, date of birth, and sex of the child, and the name and address of the agency having control of the child.

Justin bit his lower lip in avid interest as the investigator continued to study the certificate. "It indicates the mother was 16 years old at the time she surrendered the child, and the code here means she was unmarried at the time she gave him up." He continued to scan the information as Justin watched his eyes reading from left to right. "It doesn't list a birth father's age but the Exhibit List _does_ indicate there should have been a birth certificate for the child attached." He looked up to notice his potential client staring at him in rapt attention. "You didn't find a birth certificate with it?" he asked. "For some reason, they didn't list the child's date of birth – only that it was a male. The birth certificate, though, should show the birth date and place of birth; hopefully the mother's and father's name, also."

Justin shook his head sadly. "No…..that's all I found. That's why I'm not sure it's related to my partner or not." He looked over a little awkwardly at the other man, not knowing how he would react to his revelation about his sexuality. After all, he _could _have been talking about a _business _partner. Nowadays, it didn't seem to shock the mainstream public so much, but there was always a closet homophobe buried somewhere. If the man was one of those, he certainly wouldn't be comfortable working with him on something this important. He decided it was time to be totally upfront with this man and find out. "I'm thinking this is related to my life partner's birth – at least I'm _hoping_ so. He didn't exactly have an ideal childhood," he dryly explained, the disdain for his partner's "parents" showing on his face. "In fact, his so-called _parents_ were about the worst possible ones you could imagine. They abused him growing up, both mentally AND physically, and didn't give him any love or respect at any time in his life. So when I found this piece of paper, I was excited to think that maybe these two sad excuses for parents might not actually be his REAL parents. I'm hoping you can help me find them in time for our wedding in about a month; I want to give him that as a wedding present."

To Justin's immense relief, the man looked a little surprised by his statement but not _repulsed _by it. Lockwood nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that would be quite a wedding present, I would say, if it turns out to be true. If you want me to, I can work backward with the information I have on this paper you've provided me and hopefully obtain a copy of the birth certificate that corresponded with this surrender paper. That _could_ contain the mother and father's name on it, as well as the actual birth date of the baby. Obviously, if the birth date matches your partner's birth date, that's pretty solid proof that he was indeed adopted. Then, if you like, I can conduct some research and do some just plain old pounding the pavement to try and find the biological parents. I should caution you, though – if it's a birth certificate for an adoption, it likely will NOT list the actual names of the biological parents, only their ages and places of birth. I can do some digging around for all children born on the same date at the same hospital to try and narrow down the possibilities, though, and if we get lucky, there MAY be a consent form attached to the birth certificate. If there is, any adopted child over the age of 18 can be given the names of the consenting parents if he chooses to request them. Do I have your permission to get started?" he asked, peering up over the reading glasses he had donned to enable him to read the fine print on the certificate. "I'm not sure if you've ever used a private investigator before, Mr. Taylor; depending upon the time involved, it could get pretty pricey," he warned him. "Since you're a friend of Carl's I can cut you a little deal, but even with that you're looking at around $100 an hour. It could add up to quite a bit." The young man sitting in front of him sounded determined to find out whatever information he could, but he didn't especially look affluent. He didn't want to be responsible for this man going into monumental hock because of a desire to please his fiancé.

Lockwood, however, wasn't aware of Justin's recent artistic success in New York, nor had he counted on his unwavering determination to get to the bottom of this mystery; Justin felt more sure now than ever that Brian was indeed adopted and that he had a set of hopefully _normal_ parents somewhere that just might be happy to know they had a wonderful, handsome, loving son and not only that, a fabulous _grandson_, too. After what his fiancé had had to endure growing up, and even into his recent adulthood, the least he could do was strive to give him a little family happiness in his life. He nodded his head firmly up and down. "Yes…I'm positive," he told the detective. "Let's get started – the sooner, the better."

Lockwood nodded. "Okay then…..I'll take a copy of the certificate and give you the original back for safekeeping." He reached over to open up a nearby folder and take out a group of documents. "Here is the agreement. Please read it over and when you're ready, I'll need your signature on the last page next to mine. I'll go grab another cup of coffee while you read it over," he told Justin, as he rose from behind his desk and walked out of the room to retrieve it.

Several minutes later, Justin had signed the paperwork and received a copy. "As soon as I have any information of value, I'll give you a call," Lockwood told him as he stood up to shake Justin's hand and seal their agreement. "Don't worry," he told the blond confidently. "If they're out there, I'll find them. It might take a little while – it'll depend upon how tight lipped everyone is and how revealing the documents are – but I WILL find them – count on it." He smiled over at his newest client. "Your fiancé's going to be in for one hell of a wedding surprise," he said. "You must love him a lot," he observed adroitly.

Justin twisted his mouth into a soft smile. "Yes…..I do. Very much." As the investigator opened his office door for Justin to leave, he noticed his client pause just long enough to open the document and look it over again. Smiling a little to himself, Justin walked out of the door, this time with a much more hopeful feeling that perhaps he would be able to give Brian the present he needed the most.

* * *

_Same Time – Kinnetik_

Brian snapped his phone shut in irritation; he had been trying to reach his partner for an hour now but for some reason Justin's cell was going straight to voicemail. He knew Justin had mentioned he would be having lunch with Jennifer, however, and he wanted to ask him to stop by Kinnetik a little later to help him with some artwork for his latest client, a large, influential book publisher who needed a dramatic campaign to buttress his drooping sales of hardback books against the rapid growth of electronic books on the internet. His art department, for some inexplicable inane reason, seemed to be having trouble translating Brian's ingenious advertising campaign into an effective graphics presentation, and he knew his partner wouldn't have that problem.

He opened his cell phone back open and this time dialed Jennifer's number. After two rings, he heard the familiar voice of his partner's mother's voice. "Jennifer…..Hi, it's Brian."

He could almost see the fond smile on her face as she answered, "Hi, Brian….It's good to hear from you. Is my son treating you well?" she asked him teasingly.

"Well, you can ask _him_ that question. I need to speak to him for a just a minute." He noticed oddly that Jennifer didn't instantly respond to his request before she answered in a puzzled tone of voice, "I haven't seen him, Brian. Isn't he at the loft?"

Brian's eyebrows narrowed in confusion as he frowned. "No….I mean, he _shouldn't _be there. He told me he was having lunch with YOU today." _Just what was going on here?_

Jennifer sounded confused, also, as she answered, "No…..I haven't seen him. I had lunch with Tucker today over at Bardwell's. Are you sure he didn't say tomorrow maybe? I'd love to have lunch with him, but I haven't actually talked to him in a few days. Last time I spoke to him was right after he told me about deciding to have your wedding at Britin. Maybe he's planning on calling me today to ask if I'm free for lunch _tomorrow," _she reasoned. "Did you try his cell phone?"

"Yeah….." Brian's voice was quiet as he recalled his conversation this morning with Justin; he could have sworn his fiancé told him he would definitely be having lunch with his mother today before he went over to the park to sketch. Perhaps he HAD been mistaken; at least the thought of the park gave him another idea of trying to find him there. "Maybe I did misunderstand," he told Jennifer. "Do you want me to tell him you're free tomorrow when I talk to him?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, Brian…..Tell him to call me, okay?" She couldn't help noticing the odd sound in Brian's voice but she wasn't quite sure what it meant. Her son and his partner continued to be an enigma to her frequently, even now that their wedding was back on track again and they seemed so incredibly happy about it. No matter what was going on in their lives, though, they always seemed to work their issues out in the end. She was confident that this time would not be any different. "Take care – I'll see you soon," she told him fondly.

"Yeah…..you too," Brian responded somewhat absently. As he flipped his phone shut to end the conversation, he shook his head. He didn't know what it was, but something weird was going on in his partner's little blond head and he was determined to find out just what it was. He had first felt that way the night before last at _Tony's,_ and now he was even MORE convinced that a certain young man was hiding something from him – what, he had no idea. But he was determined to find out. Why would Justin tell him he was having lunch with his mother when he clearly _wasn't_? Did he somehow misunderstand after all? No, he decided as he clearly recalled their conversation – he had definitely NOT misunderstood.

Making a decision, he walked out of his office to tell Cynthia he was going out for a while. As he walked out of the front door and headed for his 'Vette, all sorts of scenarios whirled around in his head, none of which he particularly liked. _But I'm NOT going to jump to conclusions_, he vowed to himself, as he turned the ignition and slowly pulled out into traffic. _But you'd better tell me what's going on, Sunshine, before I go crazy_. Brian knew that whatever happened, he was too deeply in love now to turn back. Justin Taylor was it for him; he was his soul mate. There had never been anyone else before and there would never be anyone for him afterward. He forced his doubts and questions aside as he drove toward the park in search of his partner, his _fiancé_, hopeful that his confusion and bewilderment would soon be assuaged by his lover's tender words and soft gestures, just like this morning. He knew Justin loved him – it was so obvious as they lay in bed this morning and as they made love last night and again today while the blond sighed and whimpered in delight under Brian's expert hands and lightly, lovingly ran his own soft, gentle hands all over Brian's body almost reverently in return. No, that was not the actions of a man searching for some_one_ else; it was clearly the actions of a man who was in LOVE with HIM. So what was going on? Only one way he was going to find out. It was time to visit one of his partner's favorite spots at the park and hope that at least THAT part of Justin's plans was true.

_You and me are going to have a talk, Sunshine_,he vowed as he pulled up and noticed with relief his partner sitting _alone_ on a nearby park bench. He squared his shoulders and breathed out a nervous huff of air as he turned the car off and opened the door to get out. It was time for a discussion.


	4. Trust and Hope

Justin glanced up as he observed a movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed with some surprise that it was his partner; he knew it was early afternoon, which meant that Brian normally would still be at work. Even with their impending wedding, the workaholic known as his fiancé was still putting in long hours at Kinnetik. So the fact that he was here at the park at this time of day made Justin nervous. He knew his partner well enough by now to know that something was amiss, and after talking to the detective earlier today about the adoption paper, he was nervous as hell about any aberration in his and Brian's routine. Just how did he think he was going to be able to keep this possibly life-changing, unbelievable information from his partner? And perhaps more importantly, _should _he? Didn't Brian have a right to know? At this point, though, Justin wasn't even sure the baby boy mentioned on the voluntary surrender certificate was even Brian, although it was hard not to come to that conclusion. Unless Joan Kinney had a secret child somewhere – and the thought of her having some kind of _love child_ made him sick to his stomach at the absurdity of the thought – this baby boy mentioned on the certificate and his partner had to be one and the same. There was no other explanation in Justin's mind as to why the woman would have kept such a revealing, shocking piece of paper well-hidden in the bottom of a shoebox.

He shook his head in disgust; it figured the woman would have considered it perfectly appropriate to keep such a precious, vital piece of paper in the bottom of a worn-out, damaged shoebox. Any _normal and loving_ adoptive mother would have kept the document safely tucked away in a safety-deposit box, or even had it framed after divulging the information to their adoptive son at the right time. Not _this _woman, though; what she had done was pure, unfeeling, typical Joan Kinney. At least now Justin had the satisfaction of knowing that there was most likely a _real_ mother and father out there somewhere who would hopefully love this wonderful, caring man that his partner had become. Actually, Justin always believed that he was _always_ there – he just needed some reassurance and nurturing that he was worthy of being loved.

He came out of his intensive reflection to peer over at the subject of his thoughts as Brian approached him with a soft, almost relieved smile. "Hey," he called out to the blond. "I thought I might find you on your favorite bench. You've sat here so many times they ought to erect a name plate for the back of it: _Property of Artiste Extraordinaire, Justin Taylor. Sit here and you've touched greatness_."

Justin couldn't help smirking as he rolled his eyes at the out-and-out corniness. "Fuck you," he bantered back lightly. "_Someone's_ touched, all right." He patted the bench's empty space next to him as he added, "Come and sit down next to _greatness_."

Brian chuckled slightly and, shrugging his shoulders in surrender, sat down next to his fiancé. He peered over at the open sketchpad currently being held in the other man's hands. "So what fabulous works of art has the great Mr. Taylor drawn this afternoon?" he asked curiously as he affectionately nudged his shoulder; he was always curious to see what Justin's latest creations were. He always marveled at how he could never get his fill of them – OR the artist, for that matter. As Justin gazed back at him, though, Brian thought he saw just a hint of hesitation or some type of nervousness in his face, as he if wanted to tell him something but some unseen force was holding him back; that only served to add fuel to his own concerns about just what was going on. "What _is_ it, Sunshine?" he asked gently; he was still puzzled about Justin's statement earlier that he was having lunch with his mother when he knew that wasn't true, but he was willing to wait and see if Justin volunteered some pertinent information on his own before he questioned him further about it and let his imagination run away with him.

He watched as his beautiful partner reached a pale hand over and clasped his own as their fingers automatically intertwined together; it was one of their ways of gathering strength from each other, in addition to demonstrating the abiding, deep love they felt. "Brian….." he began tentatively, the tone of his voice so much like that other time when he had started seeing Ethan and he had tried so hard to tell his lover in the shower that he had been seeing another man behind his back. Just like that time, however, as Brian stared intensely into his eyes, he just couldn't bring himself to utter the words. Not because he was being unfaithful this time – he had learned his lesson before and would never, ever repeat that mistake again – but because as he looked into the hazel eyes of the man he loved so unquestioningly, his fear that Brian's heart could somehow be broken again if his biological parents rebuffed him slowly bubbled to the surface and he couldn't take that risk. He would tell Brian when the time was right – good or bad – but he had to know first for himself if his parents – his REAL parents – would accept and love him just like HE did.

Justin shook his head slightly and smiled back at him with eyes full of love. "It's…..nothing," he whispered. "I'm…just _glad_ to see you," he replied somewhat helplessly, but his words were sincere and heartfelt. There was so much more he needed to say - so much to tell him - but now was not the time. Not until he knew what he and Brian would be facing and what their reaction would be.

Brian stared into the blue eyes he knew so well, the expressive eyes that always said so much without Justin uttering a single word aloud. He was relieved to see the obvious love clearly reflected in those eyes – but he still needed to know what was going on. "Justin…..I talked to your mom a little while ago, because I needed your help on an art project at work and couldn't reach you. I was hoping you were with her." Brian paused as he noticed Justin's face flushing a little out of, what? Embarrassment? Guilt? The thought of _that_ being the case made his stomach churn and the sour taste of bile to rise in his throat. He idly stroked his partner's pale, slim fingers as he continued, "She told me you didn't have lunch with her; in fact, she told me she had just come from lunch with Tucker at Bardwell's." As Justin averted his eyes and looked down at his lap, Brian reached his other hand over and gently turned his lover's chin around to meet his gaze. "Do you want to tell me what's going on, Sunshine?" he gently asked him, the little hitch in his voice betraying his fear just a little; only with Justin would he allow his innermost thoughts and insecurities to rise to the surface and let his soul be exposed to the sunlight – his own _personal _sunlight.

Justin bit his lip and swallowed hard. This was what he had knew would happen when he tried to deceive the man he loved, even if it WAS for a good reason. What could he say to alleviate his partner's fears but at the same spare him any possible hurt? As Justin dared to return his lover's worried gaze, he let out a soft, shaky sigh. "Brian…..do you trust me?" he asked his partner unexpectedly; he didn't add the word "now" to his question, even though it was hanging out there, clear as a bell for them both to hear. They had come so far since the Ethan incident, and since Brian's cancer; in their own way, they had _both_ kept secrets from each other that had made the other angry and hurt, but they had ultimately overcome them. This, however, could well be the true test of Brian's faith in their love. "Brian?" he repeated his name softly. "Do you?"

Brian thought his heart would jump into his throat as he gazed back at the man he loved so unequivocably. Why was Justin _asking _him that? _Did_ he? After all this time, _did_ he trust him? As he felt Justin's warm, soft hand slowly kneading his own tenderly, he pondered that enormous question. Until now he would have answered that with an undeniable, resounding YES; in all this time, Justin had never done anything to warrant suspicion on his part. But as their wedding finally approached nearer and nearer, Justin was starting to act strangely, secretively, and it tore at Brian's gut. Was this some ironic test of his love for him? That he could trust him completely, despite appearances? He decided if he _couldn't_ trust Justin after everything they had been through, though, there was no point in trying to ever love again; this man was IT. He would have to take a big leap of faith that his instincts were correct, that after everything they had been through, Justin wouldn't take his heart and shatter it into a million fucking pieces again; although the man had the power to do that just that.

Throwing his heart out bare, naked and exposed then, he simply answered fervently in a whisper, "Yes, Justin, I trust you. I just want to know what's going on, that's all." He watched as his lover's face dissolved from fear and apprehensive to distinctive relief as the blue eyes briefly closed and then opened again. He waited patiently, his hand still on the soft, slightly quivering chin as he waited for his fiancé's response.

Justin contemplated how much to tell Brian; he HAD to tell him _something_. He owed him that much. "Brian….." he faltered a little, struggling for just what to say. "I can't tell you everything that's going on." At his lover's look of disbelief and slight anger, he licked his lips before hastily adding, "But I CAN tell you it has something to do with my wedding present to you. I just want to keep it a secret for now, that's all." He stared back directly into the eyes of his partner to repeat with conviction, "That's ALL, Brian. I _promise_." He didn't flinch from the other man's eyes that were practically boring into him as proof that he WAS being straightforward with him, at least as much as he _could be_ at the moment without letting too much information slip.

Brian stared back at his lover; he was heartened somewhat by the unflinching gaze he was receiving as Justin told him his subterfuge lately had to do with his wedding present to him. He sighed silently in relief; that explanation was at least plausible and in a Justin-kind-of-way, actually _made sense_. It would be just like his sentimental, sweet, and yes, _romantic_ partner to want to find him a special gift for their wedding. Justin had painted so many people and events for Brian over the years by now that he guessed the artist was becoming hard-pressed to find a non-artistic gift for him. A unique, special wedding gift would understandably be even _more _difficult to achieve. Justin should know by now, however, that he _didn't need_ another wedding gift – only HIM and his love.

Brian continued to stare into his lover's eyes before he finally removed his hand from his partner's chin and moved it slightly to lightly stroke a pale cheek; Justin leaned contently into the touch, curving his cheek to mold to the caress before he brought his own hand up to cradle Brian's in silent relief and gratitude that his partner accepted his statement and understood the reason for his secrecy.

"Okay, Justin," he finally answered softly. "I'll let you play secret agent for a while longer in your search for the perfect wedding gift for the _perfect _man – ME," he quipped as he smiled back slightly at his partner, succeeding in breaking the tension at last. "But it'd better be one HELL of a wedding present, Sunshine," he chided him, as he took his hand and wrapped it around Justin's neck to pull him closer for a deep, lengthy kiss. He felt Justin press himself to his own body and sigh as they finally broke apart. As he gently nudged his forehead against his lover's, Brian asked, "Now that we have THAT cleared up, do you know where I can find a talented artist to help me with the latest ad campaign my art department has managed to royally fuck up?"

Justin pulled back enough to gaze into the hazel eyes he knew so well; he was so happy to see his partner smiling back at him as he mischievously replied, "Oh, I think I can scrounge someone up."

Brian's eyebrows rose as he smiled, almost like that night when Justin had asked for another chance with him and it was all Brian could do not to shout "YES!" to the heavens. "Good. There's no one I'd rather spend long, hard hours deep into the night - and _day_ with – than you." He stood up and extended his hand out to his fiancé, who readily accepted it as he allowed himself to be propelled forward into his waiting arms.

As they walked hand in hand back to Brian's 'Vette, Justin breathed a silent breath of relief as well as thankfulness for the deep bond he and Brian shared, born of past misunderstanding and hurt but now even stronger because of it. _I won't stop until I find your REAL parents_, Justin vowed to this wonderful man as they finally reached the sports car and got in.

_

* * *

_

Two Days Later - Britin – Morning

"Hey, Baby – You Up there?" Justin smiled as he heard a familiar voice down below– his friendly neighborhood wedding planner, otherwise known as Emmett Honeycutt.

"I'm up here, Em," he answered, hearing footsteps coming up the steps. Justin had decided to use some of the sketches he had made at the park the other day as the basis for his next painting; ever since he had met with Lockwood the other day, he had been on pins and needles waiting for any more information about the certificate he had found in the shoebox. After not hearing anything in the past 48 hours, he had grown tired of fretting about it and decided to use some of his nervous energy constructively by starting a new painting in his newly-remodeled studio at Britin. It had been an early wedding present from Brian a week ago and came as a total, but completely delightful, surprise to him, affording him a perfect spot on the second floor for his work – the former solarium had two massive skylights overhead and plenty of windows to lure in the natural light, as well as ample space for his art supplies and canvasses. He sighed as he thought, _I only hope I have the same type of delightful surprise soon for Brian, too_. "Justin?"

"Down the hall," Justin instructed his friend; the house was so huge that sometimes he almost felt like visitors needed a map to navigate it; even HE felt that way, too. He had actually threatened to buy Brian a GPS for their wedding in case he needed to locate him in the house.

"_There _you are," Emmett said, slightly out of breath from trotting up the staircase. "I thought I'd have to come back here with a _bloodhound_ for a minute," he joked, smiling at his "client." Emmett couldn't help glancing over at Justin's latest piece, an abstract composition of vivid greens, yellows, and blues. "That's _beautiful_, Baby," Emmett complimented him, mesmerized by the swirling shapes and textures on the canvas. He never presumed to know much about art – his forte was more in the realm of fashion and food – but even _he_ could feel the energy pulsing from the canvas in front of him and appreciate the kaleidscope of colors and vibrancy.

Justin smiled somewhat shyly at the compliment; even now after his relatively successful achievement at such a tender age he was humble whenever he accepted a compliment. Unknown to him, it was partly what made him so endearing to others. "Thanks, Em," he simply said. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I figured Brian wouldn't be interested in this part, but I've brought you over some food samples for the wedding cake and the reception – they're down in the kitchen. Do you have a few minutes to try them out?"

Justin beamed with excitement. "Are you _kidding_ me? Lead the way! I can't wait to see what you've come up with!" Em was right – if Brian was here, he would be rolling his eyes in amusement right now; he wasn't the least bit interested in the menu or cake recipe for their wedding, or any of the _other_ details. If it was up to his partner, they would get married quietly and move on quickly to the more important matters – flying to their honeymoon and spending the time fucking, sightseeing, fucking, eating, and then MORE fucking. But Justin loved to be involved in ALL of the details – the cake, the food, the flowers, and the decorations. He and Brian already had their rings, since Brian had kept the original ones he had purchased about a year ago; but everything else was brand new. Gone, for example, were the elusive Golden Gardenias; Justin knew his partner wouldn't complain if he still wanted them to adorn the backyard – he would let Justin have whatever he wanted it if made him happy – but Justin decided he would rather keep things a little more low-key this time, maybe as insurance that they really WOULD get married without any complications like the last time

As they entered the kitchen, he noticed several white, cardboard boxes stacked on the nearby counter. "Okay, Mr. Taylor," Emmett announced formally, "Let's start with the wedding cake, shall we?" He swept his hand around, motioning for Justin to take a seat at the dining room table as he smoothly pulled out his friend's chair for him.

Justin's eyes lit up as Emmett reached over to retrieve a box and opened it to reveal four small, white Styrofoam plates with a variety of miniature cake samples. "Okay, Mr. _Groom_," Emmett playfully began, as he pointed out the first choice. "Here's cake number one: double chocolate black forest cake with a macadamia-nut icing." Placing it in front of a rapt Justin, he turned around and picked up the next choice. "Cake number two is a _delicious_ vanilla bean cake with a toasted coconut icing, just perfect for that twinkie in you," he added, obtaining a delighted chuckle from Justin.

Reaching over for the next plate, he continued, "And not to be outdone, here is choice number three: A butterscotch pudding cake with caramel cream icing." Placing the third choice in front of Justin, who was already holding his fork out to begin his taste test, Emmett finished up with the last option. "And…..not to be left out in the cold, the last choice: a cherry cordial cheesecake topped off with a cherry glaze and chocolate curls on top."

Justin licked his lips in excitement, so happy to have his mind occupied for a change with a pleasant aspect of his wedding; the past few days had been so tension-filled that it was nice to have a diversion to replace the angst and drama. "Oh, my God, Em – they all look and sound absolutely _wonderful!" _He grinned over at his friend, who was standing by his chair watching him in amusement.

Justin waved his fork in front of his face. "Okay, get ready, Em…..I'm going in!" he laughed, speaking as if he were about to undergo a salvation operation. He stabbed a large bite of the first cake and eagerly opened his mouth to take a taste. He closed his eyes and smiled; it was _almost_ as good as fucking with Brian, but not quite. As he slowly withdrew the fork from his mouth, savoring every bit of the first cake, he told his friend appreciatively, "Mmmm…Em, this is _heavenly!"_ In short order, he had dispatched every bit of the first sample.

"Well…..THAT one must have hit the spot," Emmett observed, bemused. "Doesn't Mr. Kinney provide you any edible sustenance, other than the _obvious kind_?"

Justin blushed at the insinuation and grinned. "Well, if he had HIS way, probably not. But eventually I get a little cranky if I don't get some type of variety, so he lets me out of bed occasionally for some _real_ food," he kidded, smiling. "Enough about my feeding schedule, though…..let's have the _second one!_" he demanded in a mock command, holding his hand out palm up to receive his next sample.

Emmett twisted his lips into a grin. "Okay…..here goes, Baby – here's the vanilla cake," he advised, reaching over to retrieve the second plate and placing it in his friend's outstretched open palm. Justin eagerly accepted the prize and quickly cut a large bite out of the sample to taste it.

The third and fourth choices were dispatched as enthusiastically as the first two, each one soliciting a delighted moan of rapture from the sampler. As Justin took a large drink from his bottle of spring water afterward, he sighed. "Em…..you've definitely found your calling. These were all great! I'm not sure _which_ one to choose….they were all wonderful." Emmett smiled at his friend's dilemma, pleased that his efforts had not gone unappreciated.

"Well, think about it, Sweetie," he told his friend. "I don't need to have a definite answer until the end of the week." Walking a short distance away to throw the now empty box in the trash, he was about to retrieve the next part of the sampling – the appetizers for the reception – when he heard Justin's cell phone ringing nearby on the counter. Picking up his friend's cell, he walked over to hand it to him. "I'll get the appetizers," he said, walking over to pick up the next box.

Looking at the caller ID, Justin didn't recognize the phone number. Frowning slightly – he pretty much knew anyone's number who would normally be calling him – he flipped it open to say hello.

"Mr. Taylor? This is Darrell Lockwood." Justin's heart practically stopped as the man identified himself. He held his breath as the man continued speaking. "I've got a little bit of news for you about what we discussed the other day. Are you free?" He had been counseled strongly by his client that his partner was NOT to be privy to what they were discussing until Justin determined it was the right time to tell him.

Justin glanced over at his friend, who was busily opening the box of appetizers and placing several of them on a nearby plate for him to sample. "Uh….not really," he answered vaguely. "Could you hold on for a second?" he asked. "Em….I have to take this call. I'm sorry," he asked somewhat apologetically. He was trying hard to appear casual and nonchalant, but inside his heart was pounding like it was doing gymnastics inside his chest. "Would you excuse me for a few minutes? It's business," he explained vaguely. In a way it _was _business – _personal business_.

Em appeared a little puzzled by his friend's somewhat abrupt change from avid cake taster to solemn businessman, but he knew how popular Justin's art had become lately; he assumed the caller must be his friend's business manager. He smiled understandingly, happy that his friend's artwork was in such demand. "Sure thing, Baby," he replied. He waved his arm in a sort of dismissal. "You go conduct your business and I'll get this set up for you in the meantime."

Justin smiled at him gratefully before practically rushing out of the room to the backyard, closing the double glass, French doors behind him securely so as not to be overheard. "Okay….sorry about that," he told the detective. "I have a friend over here who's going over some wedding plans with me," he explained. Somewhat breathlessly he asked, "Have you found out something?"

"Yes, I have," the man verified, causing Justin's pulse to increase in excitement.

"That's great," he told the detective. "What did you learn?" he asked eagerly. _Please let it me good news._

Lockwood revealed, "Well, I visited the Alleghany County Vital Statistics Archive yesterday and I was able to use the item number listed on the Voluntary Surrender document to trace the copy they had on file there. They had an exact duplicate of the one you showed me the other day."

Justin held his breath briefly before he asked, "Did they have any other information with it?"

His heart leapt when Lockwood verified, "Yes…..they had a certified copy of the birth certificate attached to the form as an exhibit, just like I hoped."

There was a pregnant pause mixed with anticipation and apprehension before Justin could ask the question he was dying to ask. "What did it say? Did it list the baby's birth date? His parents?"

"Yes, the birth date was listed," was the exciting response. "According to the birth certificate, the baby boy was born in Allegheny General Hospital at 7:32 a.m. on Saturday, July 10, 1971." Lockwood could hear a gasp on the other end as he asked, "I take it this IS your partner's birth date?"

Justin's mouth hung open in euphoria as he smiled broadly; he had been right, then – Brian WAS adopted. Now all they had to do was find his real parents. "Yes," he confirmed to the detective, his voice an breathy exhale. "It sure is. That's _wonderful_ news, Mr. Lockwood. Just wonderful – it's what I was hoping for. What else did you find out? Did it list the parents' names? Their addresses?" He was so excited for Brian, and so hopeful that perhaps at last Brian could find the happiness and love he had been deprived of throughout his childhood and even into his adulthood.

"Well, that's where the grunt work is going to come in," he told his client. "Because this was a sealed adoption, and the mother voluntarily gave up the child, her identify was obscured for privacy reasons. It only lists her age at the time of birth – 16, and her city of residence then – Johnstown, which is about 66 miles from Pittsburgh. Not sure why she would have given birth so far away from home, but back in those days you were still considered somewhat of a pariah to be unmarried and pregnant, so it may have just been a case of trying to hide it from her schoolmates and the community."

Justin sighed in disappointment; he should have realized that due to the baby being given up voluntarily and being adopted, the mother's name would not have been revealed. It seemed the search was going to be more complicated than he had hoped. "What about the father?"

He heard the detective pause. "I'm afraid that's even _more_ of a mystery – in the father's name box, it merely lists him as "unknown." That could be any number of things - but normally, in my experience that means the father simply didn't _know_ about the pregnancy, or else the mother was so promiscuous that she simply didn't know who the actual father WAS."

"Damn," Justin breathed out in frustration. Despite the temporary roadblock, though, he wasn't giving up. "So what's our next step?" he asked.

"Well, the next step would be to pour over the hospital birth records for all baby boys born on that date at Allegheny General, and hope that there weren't a lot of them. Of course, just being able to eliminate the boys born on that date that actually have parents' names listed on the birth certificates will go a long way toward narrowing the possibilities."

"Can you get access to that information? I would think birth certificate information would be restricted to only certain parties."

"You're very astute," Lockwood answered. "That would be correct – birth certificates can normally only be viewed by official next of kin, such as parents or sometimes siblings and grandparents in special cases. But that's why I'm one of the best and Carl recommended me. Let's just say I have contacts that have ways of bulldozing through all the red tape. In addition, you'd be surprised how much so-called confidential information can be had on the internet and through other inside sources. Don't worry – if your partner was born at that hospital on that date, I'll find the parents in fairly short order," he told Justin confidently.

Justin was a little more hopeful at the sound of certainty coming from the other man's voice. "How _soon_?" he asked somewhat urgently. "As you know, I was really hoping you could locate them before the wedding."

"I know, Mr. Taylor, and I am going to do my best. I know how important this is for you. I will make your case a priority personally. If there's any way to do this before your wedding, I will make it happen," he vowed.

Justin nodded, even though he knew the other man couldn't see him. "Thank you. That would mean a lot to me – AND to my partner. Please call me as soon as you hear anything more, okay?"

"I will," the detective promised. "And just so I'm clear – when I DO determine the names of the parents – and I WILL find them, you can count on it – you want to contact them personally? Or do you want ME to do it?"

"No," Justin responded promptly; he had given this a lot of thought, and he most certainly wanted to meet with them himself; he wanted to make sure why they had felt a need to give their son up and, more importantly, how they felt about reconnecting with him. If they did not want Brian in their lives as he WAS – it they couldn't accept him for the wonderful, confident man that he had become, and respect him, regardless of his sexual orientation – then he would wait until AFTER their wedding to tell him. There was no point in spoiling their happiness and hurting his partner needlessly before a day that should be the happiest of their lives. "I want to talk to them myself, he told the detective firmly.

"You got it, then," Lockwood told him. "I'll be in touch soon," he promised, just before he said goodbye.

As Justin flipped his phone shut, he sat under the backyard arbor, his phone cradled against his cheek in pensive thought. _Please let him find Brian's parents in time for the wedding_, he pleaded silently, before he stood up to return to his friend and continue preparations for the ceremony. He had no doubt that when he DID talk to them, he would make it clear to them that _Brian _wasn't receiving the greatest present - THEY were.


	5. Preparations

_One Week Later – Early Afternoon_

Justin watched intently from the rear French doors as several construction workers scurried around the backyard, intent on preparing the grounds for their upcoming wedding. Brian was sparing no expense in grooming the landscaping for their impending nuptials; besides installing a gigantic overhead canopy to protect them and their guests from any possible rainfall during the ceremony, he was actually paying to have landscapers plant additional greenery in certain areas, and was literally having truckloads of accent pieces brought in for their reception later; there seemed to be a continual convoy coming in and out of the gate all day long. All the frantic activity both excited and worried him; he was excited because all the activity confirmed to him that he would indeed soon be marrying the man he loved more than anything, and worried because it reminded him that he had yet to hear back from the private detective regarding Brian's biological parents. He was quickly running out of time to present Brian with his "present" before the wedding; as much as he was anxious to find them and talk to them, it certainly wasn't something he could just spring on Brian on their wedding day. He wanted time for all of them to get to know each other first. He only hoped that when he _did_ talk to them, they would be receptive to getting to know their son at all.

He jumped slightly when a pair of strong arms wound their way around his chest and pulled him against a muscular, lean body; it was only a second's hesitation, however, because he immediately recognized the arms and body as those belonging to his fiancé. "Emmett…..I _told _you….Brian will be home soon," he kidded the other man. He heard a snort came from behind before a sexy voice growled against his ear, "You'll have to do better than _that_, Sunshine, to get ME jealous. At least pick someone _convincing_." Justin noticed that at least his partner had quit trying to act like he never got jealous at all where he was concerned; Brian had long ago given up _that_ contention.

As his fiancé placed a small kiss on his lower earlobe, Justin leaned back to luxuriate in his partner's comfortable, familiar embrace; he had always felt so safe and protected in Brian's arms – that would never change. As the years had passed since they had first met, in fact, their relationship had developed into a sort of sweet refrain; while Justin had never really been adept at hiding his feelings from Brian, it had taken the other man quite a bit longer to be able to openly admit his love to him. Even then, the occasions where Brian had spoken _those three little words_ aloud had been sporadic. He didn't know if it was their recent separation that was the reason, but lately it seemed like Brian felt more comfortable being more direct about his verbal expressions of love. Justin decided he rather _liked _it – a LOT.

He smiled as he turned in the other man's embrace to look into his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he teased softly as he reached his hands up to wind them around his fiancé's neck. He couldn't help pulling Brian's head down for a deep kiss before finally breaking it several seconds later. He smirked at his partner as he felt the brunet's erection poking at him through his Armani pants. "I still _got_ it," he boasted, as he reached one hand down to give his fiance's cock a quick squeeze. "You _SO_ love me," he sing-songed, almost in an exact duplication of that other time so long ago in Brian's jeep. At the time, it probably wasn't true yet – although perhaps it WAS – but this time there was absolutely no doubt of it.

Brian rolled his eyes but couldn't help grinning back. "Well, don't let it get around, _Mr. Taylor_," he retorted, before he leaned down and playfully took a nip at Justin's chin. "I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

Justin twisted his lips in a bemused smile. "My lips are sealed…at least where everyone_ else_ is concerned, anyway."

"You just see that they ARE," Brian growled back good-naturedly as he continued to hold his fiancé in his arms as he smiled back tenderly. His hands began to slowly stroke Justin's back from side to side as he stared into the impish and sparkling mesmerizing pools of sapphire blue. _God – I love you, you twat_, he silently verified. _See what you've done to me? You've turned me into a fucking POET._

Justin peered into the hazel eyes that were staring back at him so thoughtfully. "So just what are you doing here in the middle of the day, Mr. Kinney? Does your boss know where you are?" he bantered back.

Brian curled his lips under in amusement as his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Oh, I have his full support, don't worry…he knew I was getting a little horny at work and decided I could use a little _afternoon delight_ for lunch. Do you know where I can get some?"

Justin's heart soared as he smiled back at this magnificent man; he once again thanked his lucky stars that it was HIM standing under that streetlight and it was Brian who had somehow decided he was the one to go home with him. From the first night that had happened, there really wasn't anywhere else he had ever wanted to be. And he absolutely loved it when Brian was playful like this and let his guard down; it just made him love the man even more knowing that he felt comfortable enough to do that. Justin knew that he was only that way with him, and it made him feel so special. "I think I can help you with that _problem_," he whispered huskily, softly ruffling the soft hair at Brian's nape as he feathered his fingers through it.

"I was _hoping _you'd say that, Sunshine," he offered in rejoinder. He broke their embrace to grab Justin's wrist and begin pulling him toward the steps that would take them to their master bedroom upstairs. "Time's a-wastin," he said impatiently. As Justin chuckled and stepped in front, Brian gave his ass a short slap to hurry him along. "Git a long, little doggie," he commanded. "Time to go for a _joyride_….." As they practically ran up the stairs, the only sounds heard were more laughter and another resounding slap before the bedroom door abruptly closed firmly.

* * *

One hour later, Justin waved to Brian from their upstairs bedroom window as his fiancé stepped into his 'Vette and started the car to drive off. He shook his head and smiled in satisfaction. _Brian always WAS excellent at time management_, he thought facetiously as he walked down the upstairs hallway toward his art studio. Now that he and Brian had expended some of their nervous energy, he felt like he could get back to his current painting and hopefully get it finished at least by early next week. He was anxiously wanting to get this latest commissioned work done as soon as possible so he could devote more time to finding out about Brian's parents. He was starting to really get worried about Lockwood's capabilities to find them. As each day passed, his worries continued to mount. The investigator had sounded so sure that he had sufficient contacts to track down the needed information, but had the man merely been blowing empty air in a deceptive boast? Carl, though, had recommended him, and Justin trusted his instincts. He decided, however, that if the detective didn't get back to him by tomorrow, he would call him himself. He couldn't wait much longer for news; his nerves were quickly becoming frayed from impatience.

He had just picked up his paintbrush to resume his current piece when he heard his cell phone ringing. Rushing back into the bedroom to retrieve it from the nightstand, he didn't have a chance to check the caller ID before answering. "Hello?"

"Mr. Taylor? This is Darrell Lockwood."

Justin felt his breath catch in his throat at the unexpected call. He didn't bother an attempt at a preamble before saying," Did you find out something?" _Please – let it be good news._

He could almost hear the other man nodding as he verified, "Yes, I did. I know who one of his parents are – at least the mother. Do you have a pen and paper?"

Justin's heart was beating rapidly at this news – it was what he had been hoping and waiting for ever since he had found the surrender certification in that shoebox. He reached over quickly and grabbed a memo pad and a pen. "Go ahead," he said, a little breathlessly.

He felt a slight hesitation all of a sudden from the other line. "I need to tell you something first, Mr. Taylor. I DO know the mother's name and a lot of information about her, but the news isn't all good."

Justin's heart fell; did the woman not want to meet Brian after all? "She doesn't want to meet him, does she?" he asked. They were _so_ close to finding out about her – surely there was _some_ way he could meet her in person and persuade her to meet the son she had given away. He also wanted to ask her _why_; he couldn't risk Brian's heart being broken again.

"It's not that exactly," Lockwood told him a little mysteriously. "The mother's name was Lydia Blackwell," he reported. Justin noticed with some interest that her name sounded Irish or Scottish, just like with Brian's "substitute parents." He listened intently as the detective continued. "As you already know, she was 16 years old at the time of your partner's birth. I'm afraid, though, that your fiancé won't be able to meet her." He paused for a few seconds before he delivered the extremely unfortunate news. "She….died in a car accident about 10 years ago. Hit and run driver; I'm sorry."

Justin closed his eyes in extreme disappointment and sadness – sadness that the woman had died never knowing what a priceless gift she had bestowed upon him and never realizing what a wonderful man her baby boy had grown up to be. "I'm…I'm really sorry to hear that," he said softly, not able to disguise his extreme melancholy. "We were SO close…." _So close to a reunion. _"Shit, it's so unfair," he lamented.

"I know," Lockwood replied sympathetically. "But it's _not_ all bad news," he told Justin, trying to put a positive spin on the matter. "I DO know a lot about her, and I _also_ have the name – and _address_ – of her parents, your partner's maternal grandparents. You can still visit _them_ and with any luck find out even more about her. And hopefully they will be receptive to meeting their grandson, also."

Justin let out a nervous breath. At least the part about Brian's grandparents was good news, but he was devastated about his mother; he had been hoping desperately that not only would Lockwood find his biological mother, but the woman would welcome the opportunity to get to know him. Now that opportunity sadly would never occur. But there _were_ the woman's parents; at the very least if they were cooperative he could at find out more about her. "I sure hope so," he answered. "What are their names and address?"

"Their names are Sean and Kathleen Blackwell; they still live in Johnstown at 713 Cottonwood Drive. I also have their phone number: (814) 555-2378. But something tells me you will be paying them a _personal _visit instead of calling them."

Justin nodded his head adamantly, even though he knew the other man couldn't see him. "You _bet_ I will," he vowed firmly. "They deserve to know what a special person their grandson is. I only hope when I meet them they're as excited about the idea as _I_ am." He mentally reviewed his schedule for tomorrow; Brian should be at work as usual, and he didn't have to meet with the head of the art gallery downtown who had expressed such a great interest in displaying some of his work until later in the afternoon. That would give him just enough time tomorrow to go visit Brian's grandparents. "I can go see them tomorrow," he decided. "By the way, you said you found out some additional information about the mother. What can you tell me about her? It might help me when I go to visit her parents," he explained.

"Well, she was born in Johnstown and attended Riverview High School through her junior year; at the time she left to give birth, she was a cheerleader and a member of the drama club. In fact, she apparently performed in several plays during her freshman and sophomore years; I actually have a copy of the yearbook for 1971 and it shows her in several productions. She was quite a looker from what I can tell; your partner will no doubt find the photos very interesting. I'll give you the book the next time we meet," he told Justin.

Justin was extremely curious. "What does she look like?" he asked, barely able to contain his excitement over at least having photos of her.

"Well, the book didn't list her height, but from the photos taken in group settings, she appears to be rather tall – I'd say about 5'7". The yearbooks back then unfortunately weren't in color – they're all black and white photos, so it's impossible to tell what her hair color and eye color were. You _can _tell she wasn't a blonde – her hair color seems to be a medium color. That's about all I can tell, but she was a beautiful girl – there's no doubt about that."

Justin absorbed all that critical information; it wasn't nearly enough from his standpoint, but it was a start. "You said she left there in her sophomore year? Is that why she moved to Pittsburgh – to give birth?"

"Well, that would be my best guess, but that's _all_ it would be – an educated guess. It would make sense, though, since she had lived her entire life in Johnstown until then. It had to be more than just a big coincidence in my opinion."

Justin agreed with him; the timing was just too perfect not to be the reason why she left her hometown; was it maybe an attempt to leave before the father found out? Could that be why he wasn't listed anywhere?

"What about the father?" he asked urgently; he was dying to know if Lockwood had found out anything about his partner's other biological parent. Surely Brian still had his real father somewhere; the alternative that either he was also deceased or unknown was just unthinkable; the fates wouldn't be _that_ cruel to him, would they? "Was there any information in the yearbook that might indicate who he was? A steady boyfriend, for example?"

"I thought of that angle, also," the detective told him. "I reviewed the yearbook extensively. She apparently was very well-liked; there was numerous group photos of her with other students. Unfortunately, there was no real indication of a particular boyfriend. Normally the best indication of that is contained in the person's own personal yearbook through the notes that are written in them by their friends. In this case, we don't have that luxury. But, again, I'm betting that the grandparents know a lot more about the father - or at least who he COULD be - than what I can garner from a copy of the yearbook."

Justin could hear the other man's frustration reflected in his voice as he told him, "I have been unable to locate the father through any typical means," he confessed truthfully. "I'm not trying to brag, but I'm _good_ at what I do; _damn_ good. But this one frankly has me stumped. There is no mention of his name _anywhere _– all the documents I have been able to access have either a blank where the father's name would be or it simply says "unknown." I also have several databases online I have access to – the best available, in fact – but every one of them comes up against a fucking brick wall." Justin could hear the man sigh loudly in disgust. "I'm sorry, Mr. Taylor; really I am. This one really bothers me. After what you told me, and after you mentioned to me the reason why you wanted this done, I was determined to find _both_ parents. This one, though, has me stymied. That doesn't happen to me very much," he offered in a sort of partial defense.

Justin blew out a frustrated breath of his own and closed his eyes in disappointment, but he was _not_ giving up – this was for _Brian_; defeat was NOT an option here. "Well, I'm not giving up," he told the other man determinedly. "I'm going to Johnstown tomorrow morning and talk to his mother's parents. Maybe _they_ can tell me something about the father; after all, their daughter didn't get pregnant by _herself_." He huffed a little at the slight joke; it _was_ sort of ironic considering how Gus had come into existence; wouldn't it be a real _treat_ if somehow the girl had managed to get pregnant the same way? Surely not, though – after all, the girl was 16 and in the prime of her burgeoning sexual life; and if this girl was as attractive as Lockwood described her, she certainly wouldn't have _needed_ to do it that way. No, there was a father out there somewhere, and he was determined to find him, hopefully before their wedding which was now only three weeks away. _If life has any fairness left in it, you will help me make this happen_, he silently insisted – to whom, he wasn't really sure. He just knew no one would be that cruel to his partner, not after the horrid life he had had growing up and even recently, before both of those uncaring bigots had died; to Justin, that was the greatest gift the two of them had given the boy that they had raised as their _son_; that and the piece of paper that Joan Kinney never had gotten the opportunity to destroy. Just the mention of their names gave Justin a sour taste in his mouth. Those two should never have had the privilege of being called _parents_, especially _Brian's_ parents. Well, he was about to find out something at least regarding ONE of Brian's real parents; he wouldn't stop until he had information on the father, also. He refused to consider any other possibility.

"Well, I certainly wish you luck," Lockwood replied sincerely. "I think you can be very persuasive when you want to be," he told Justin. "Let me know how it goes, okay? If there is _anything_ else I can do to help move it along, I'll definitely do it. I just need some tentative information to work with. Make sure you let me know anything they tell you that might help locate the father and I'll put a priority on it ahead of my other cases."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Lockwood; I'll let you know what happens." He thought the man _was _honestly trying his best to locate Brian's father, and at least he _had_ found the maternal grandparents. He couldn't wait to talk to them about Brian and to learn more about their daughter. Surely they would also have some additional photos of her; he was so anxious to see what she looked like. Would Brian look like his mother? Or would he more resemble his father? He only hoped he got the chance to find out. As he ended his conversation with the private investigator, he flipped his phone shut and sat down on the bed – his and Brian's bed; the bed where they had made love earlier today. He closed his eyes to recall how Brian had looked at him so tenderly, so lovingly, as he hovered over him and slowly kissed his way down his body to worship every patch of skin his lips could reach. Then, after he had fucked him with exquisite, maddening patience, he had given Justin the same opportunity. How things had changed – Brian didn't even try and make those occasions seem like an afterthought any more, or like he was doing Justin a big favor. He was so much more open now than he had been at the time they had first met; was it because of their recent separation? Maybe – he really didn't know. All he DID know was that this man was his soul mate, the love of his life, and he wasn't going to let him down.

Rising from the bed, he stood still for a few seconds before, squaring his shoulders and making a firm decision, he rose to walk over to the dresser and picked up his art portfolio, peeking in it to make sure that a couple of sketchpads that held drawings of Brian were still in it. Placing it down on the bed, he left it open before walking over to the desk nearby and pulling out a photo album in the lower right-hand drawer. He was anxious to show Brian's grandparents these photos of Brian and him together, and the numerous other ones that had Gus pictured in them, either alone or with one or both of them. He felt it was important to tell them what a wonderful man their grandson was, and what a terrifically-precocious child their great-grandson was. As he leafed briefly through some of the pages in the album, he smiled at several memories over the past few years of Gus innocently getting into some sort of trouble or another; each time, though, receiving either a downturned pout or an innocent, "What did _I _do?" look from the child was enough to forgive him for any sort of mischief the boy managed to get into. As he came to the end of the completed pages, he couldn't help thinking; _I hope I can fill the rest of these pages with pictures of the REST of Brian's family. _

Placing it firmly in the portfolio, he sat down once again on the bed to think. Brian normally left for Kinnetik around 7:00. It would take approximately an hour of driving time to get from Pittsburgh to Johnstown, but he would have to allow an extra 30 minutes to get from Britin into downtown. He considered whether to call them first or not. If he did, it would certainly spare them the shock and surprise from being visited by a total stranger claiming to not only be acquainted with Brian but ENGAGED to him; his MALE, GAY fiancé. He wondered how they would react to that. Would they be open-minded and even welcoming? Or would they be utterly disgusted and repulsed as frequently happens with people who are just plain ignorant or downright bigoted? It was impossible to tell. Calling them first would certainly help to pave the way to see them face-to-face and provide him with indications as to how they would react, but his gut told him not to. He thought seeing them in person would be best under the circumstances. He didn't like the idea of speaking to a nameless voice; perhaps because he was an artist who was passionate about conveying expression, he needed to see them in person to gauge their facial reaction. So much could be discovered by studying a person's eyes and face when speaking to them – to Justin the animation in a person's eyes and the look on their face when you communicated with them spoke volumes in terms of how they really felt. Some people were more talented at hiding their true feelings from you, but in more cases than not, they failed to do so when you looked at them directly. No, he had to see them personally – it was the only true way to find out how they would treat Brian. If he had to be the litmus test for their tolerance and acceptance of their unknown, gay grandson, then so be it.

Picking up his cell phone, he pressed "1" on the keypad and waited for the phone to ring. "Cynthia? Hi, it's Justin.

"Hey, Justin," Cynthia responded. "Looking for the big, bad wolf?"

Justin chuckled softly. "No, I don't need to talk to him. In fact, I'd prefer you not tell him I'm even calling. I have a favor to ask you, but the only thing I can tell you is that it has to do with a surprise wedding gift for Brian. Can you tell me his schedule tomorrow?"

A few minutes later, he smiled as he hung up the phone. Brian had an important conference tomorrow morning with one of his larger clients that would undoubtedly take several hours to conclude, and as a result Cynthia told him she would be ordering lunch in for the meeting. The result would be that Brian would not be home at all during the day for some more of his favorite "afternoon delight." He would no doubt call him at some point during the day, but as long as Justin had his cell phone turned on and answered the phone, he shouldn't have any reason to suspect where he really was. Actually, Brian would never in a _million_ years ever guess what he was doing anyway. It would be a perfect day to begin his quest to meet Brian's maternal grandparents and hopefully glean more information not only about his fiancé's mother but also his father. Deciding that perhaps Fate was providing him with the luck he needed, he hurried to take his portfolio down to the garage and place it in his car; he wanted to be ready for his trip tomorrow as soon as Brian left; it would undoubtedly turn out to be one of the most important road trip of his – and Brian's – life.

* * *

_Next Morning – 6:30 a.m._

"Brian?"

"Huh," came the soft grunt as Justin gently poked his fiancé in the side. Since they had moved to Britin, Brian's normal workday routine was to be up by 6:00 so he had time for his shower, and, of course, a quick fuck IN the shower with Justin before he shaved and then ate a couple of quick bites of toast with a few gulps of juice before leaving in a rush with his oversized, chrome coffee mug; Justin would have preferred to sleep in most days – to him, six a.m' was practically _blasphemous _– but he figured the offset with Brian in the shower was worth it. Presently, however, it was now 15 minutes past that and the man hadn't moved an inch since he had reached over to smack the snooze button earlier. _It figures you'd decide to sleep in TODAY, _Justin rued internally, as he looked over affectionately at the brunet; Brian was lying there on his back, the sheet tangled up in his lean, muscular legs and one tanned, long arm draped over his head; his other arm was lying casually on Justin's chest. Well, It appeared Justin would just have to _encourage_ his fiancé to wake up. Not that he minded especially, as he took the luxury first of slowly raking his eyes over the luscious male creature lying next to him. Even now, even after seeing Brian nude thousands of time before, the man always seemed to take his breath away every time he looked at him. The man was more perfect than any portrait he could ever paint; nothing would ever compare to seeing the man in the flesh, he thought, as his eyes leisurely traveled from his long, lean legs up to his full, thick cock, his flat, taut stomach and his chiseled chest before he bathed in the sight of his fiancé's slender neck and oh-so-kissable lips; his eyes finally traveled slightly upward to take in the hazel eyes that were now gazing back at him with bemusement and love that was no doubt reflecting in his own eyes as well. "Enjoying yourself, Sunshine?" came the low drawl, as Brian's lips curled under in that adorable, mischievous way.

Justin smiled and laughed softly. "Well, not as much as I _could_ be," he replied, his eyes twinkling as he hands began to lightly travel down Brian's stomach. He watched in fascination as the flesh rippled and quivered under his teasing touch. "Care to help me out here?" He had an idea he was about to make Brian late for work – and that would, of course, set his own plans back as well – but he decided thirty more minutes wouldn't matter. Right now he had a much more _pleasurable_ activity in mind, whether it was during Brian's normal showering routine or in their bed – or BOTH if he was lucky.

Brian answered him back with his traditional, sexy smirk and one raised eyebrow arched in amusement. "Oh, I think I can help take care of your _problem_," he drawled low in his throat, causing Justin's heart to start pounding in anticipation and his body to immediately react. Just one look at Brian's darkening eyes and his outright leer at him was enough to make him hard. _How does this man still DO that to him, even after all this time?_ He didn't want to analyze that particular question, however; he just knew it was still wonderfully true. He decided not to worry about the why and just concentrate on the what. "Well, don't just lie there, then," he retorted. "How about some _action_?" He had just barely got the words out before the heretofore half-asleep brunet suddenly, fully woke up to his delight and immediately pounced on top of him. He was only able to utter a couple seconds of laughter before his mirth was effectively silenced by a probing, deep kiss. _Just my kind of wake-up call_, he thought dreamily, just before he was elevated to a mindless abandon once again.

* * *

_One Hour Later_

As Justin stood next to Brian's 'Vette, his fiancé muttered, "You're _terrible_ for my schedule, Sunshine. I'm going to have a hard time explaining why I was late today."

Justin snorted. "Right…go ahead and tell them you were stuck in some outrageous traffic jam out in West Virginia. They'll believe that about the same as they'll believe we didn't fuck this morning before you came in."

Brian grimaced. "Am I _that_ predictable? That sounds so…_old_."

Justin chuckled as he twisted his mouth in amusement. "No, I wouldn't say old….just _insatiable_, which is totally in character for _you_."

Brian reached over to grab the blond's upper arms and lean down for one more toe-curling kiss from his fiancé before he reluctantly pulled away. He gazed a few more seconds silently into the eyes of the man he loved before he smiled softly and murmured, "Only when it comes to _you_, Mr. Taylor." It was the closest thing Justin would get today to an "I love you," but he didn't care – he knew what Brian meant and the statement was still damned sweet to his ears anyway.

As Brian released him and turned to enter his car, Justin replied, "Ditto, Mr. Kinney," before the brunet smiled one last time and shut the door to turn the key. He gave Justin one last tender look before he slowly picked up speed and turned in the driveway to leave through the ornate, metal gate at the entrance. Justin watched the car until it was out of sight before he hurried back into the house to pick up his portfolio containing the sketches and photos. It was time at last to find Brian's family – his _real_ family.


	6. Meeting Brian's Grandparents

_Two and a Half Hours later_

Justin drummed his fingers nervously on the steering wheel as he heard the GPS advising him he was approximately two miles outside of Johnstown; soon he would be pulling up in the driveway of Brian's maternal grandparents, Sean and Kathleen Blackwell. He had been fine up until he started seeing distance signs for the other town; now, his hands were sweating and his adrenalin was racing at the thought he was about to come face to face with the couple who could in all probability tell him about Brian's mother, and hopefully about the _father_ as well. He prayed that Brian's mother had had the type of parents who were supportive of her, and hopefully that they were the kind of people that their daughter would have been comfortable confiding in; otherwise, there was a possibility that _no one_ would ever know for sure who Brian's father was – his one remaining, living parent. Surely Brian deserved a break _somewhere_ after having the worst adoptive parents that you could ever have.

As he followed the verbal instructions of his mapping system, he slowed down as he approached Cottonwood Drive. _This is it_, he thought, as his heart started to pound. He felt almost as nervous as he had that first night under the streetlamp when destiny had ordained the meeting that would forever change his life. Now he had a chance to forever change _Brian's_ life. _Please let this work out_, he thought fervently.

As he slowly drove down the tree-shaded street, he could tell by the mature trees and older, ranch-style homes that this was definitely a more established neighborhood. The brick homes were built close to one another in the old-style of suburbia, and one-car garages appeared to be the norm for most of them. About halfway down the street on the left, he spied the number he was looking for: 713. As he pulled up in the drive of a tan-brick house, he noticed the meticulously-kept landscaping, from the expertly-groomed trees to the several varieties of flowers growing profusely by the front sidewalk. A small, wooden sign by the front door said: _A spoiled rotten dog lives here_. Justin had to smile a little at that – apparently Brian didn't inherent his grandparents' animal-lover characteristics. He also noticed there was an older-model, well-maintained sedan parked in front of his vehicle in the driveway; hopefully, then, the grandparents were there. He knew it was barely 9:00 a.m., so chances were good that he was correct. He HAD to be correct – there was too much riding on this moment.

As he turned off the motor, he paused to take a deep, calming breath before blowing it out. _Okay – here goes_. _Please, _was his impassioned silent plea – a plea that said so little but encompassed SO much in its scope. He stared at the front door for several more seconds to build up his courage before he finally took the key out of the ignition and reached for the driver's side door handle. Opening the car door, he closed it to walk around the back to open up the trunk and retrieve his portfolio and photo album. As he shut the trunk and looked up, he did not detect any noticeable activity from the house. _Doesn't matter_, he said to himself. _Nothing could stop me from going up there NOW_. His mind made up, he slung the portfolio diagonally across his chest and clutched the photo album to his side as he resolutely walked up the driveway and to the front door. He took one more breath to summon his courage before he lightly but firmly knocked on the glass storm door.

Upon knocking, he almost immediately heard a fairly high-pitched, yippy-type barking coming from just inside the door – no doubt the _erstwhile spoiled dog_ of signage fame. After a few seconds more, he also distinctly heard a deep male voice scolding the dog: "Calm down, Butterscotch! Shh! It's all RIGHT!" The so-called _Butterscotch_, however, merely ignored the stern admonition and kept up his or her sentry duty as the man futilely called out the dog's name once more in an unsuccessful attempt to quiet the canine until at last Justin heard the door knob being turned and saw the door finally opening up a crack.

A rather tall, gray-haired older man, Justin would guess in his 70s, warily opened the door and peered down at him. He saw the man scrutinize his entire presence before he greeted him. "I'm sorry, young man, whatever you're selling, we're not interested." While Butterscotch, which turned out to be an apricot-colored poodle, continued to bark incessantly, Justin had to speak loudly – and quickly – to be overheard before the man closed the door on him.

"Please!" he beseeched him urgently. "I'm NOT a salesman. I need to talk to you about something extremely important." His eyes practically bored into the other man's in a silent attempt to make him understand the ramification of their meeting before he was dismissed out of hand. It wouldn't have mattered, though – he was prepared to stand there forever until the man listened to what he had to say, for Brian's sake. He owed his fiancé that much – and MORE. "Please give me a few minutes to explain," he added more softly. As he waited for the other man to answer him, he took a few seconds to study him. He was somewhat disappointed to note that except for his taller stature, he could not really see much of a likeness to his partner; perhaps his _wife_ would resemble Brian in some way.

The man continued to stare at him silently for a few seconds as if he were trying to size him up and determine his motives before he said, "Butterscotch! I TOLD YOU to SHUT UP‼" He finally reached down and picked the small dog up to try and pacify him, but the pooch kept on barking steadily. Justin was an animal lover, too, but this dog – along with his already frayed state – was really beginning to affect his nerves. Fortunately, the man finally called out to his wife for help. "Kathy! Will you CALL the DOG for God's sake‼" Justin's heart leapt a little at the name of Brian's grandmother - so BOTH of his grandparents WERE there. Now if he could only convince the man to talk to him and hear him out…..

He heard a soft, female voice calling for Butterscotch as the man gently lowered the orange-colored dog to the ground and the small animal took off running for his or her other master to Justin's relief, leaving him and Brian's grandfather alone. The man studied him for a few seconds longer before he asked, "Just what do you need to talk to me about, Son?" The voice wasn't harsh but merely curious and just a little wary. Justin actually couldn't blame him in this day and age for being careful when it came to conversing and interacting with total strangers – he had heard too many horror stories himself of older citizens being victimized or worse by thugs. But did he really want to go into details out here on the man's front porch? He had to say _something_ – and FAST – though, or the man would leave him there alone.

Justin took another calming breath before saying, "I need to talk to you about your daughter." He noticed immediately the look of pain and sadness that crossed the older man's face at the mention of his now-deceased child; Justin cursed himself silently for his lack of foresight, berating himself for his poor choice of words in way of an introduction. It WAS the truth, though – he DID need to talk to them – urgently – about Lydia Blackwell, but perhaps blurting it out hadn't been the wisest of moves on his part. "Let me explain," he added hastily. "I actually need to talk to you about her _child_." He watched, fascinated, as the man's entire demeanor changed at the mention of his grandchild – obviously this man knew his daughter had been pregnant because while he seemed a little shocked at Justin's presence, he didn't exactly look totally surprised that he HAD a grandchild.

"Her…_child_?" he repeated softly, a noticeable quiver in his voice; it was as if someone had just been risen from the dead as a flicker of something Justin couldn't quite decipher flashed across the older man's eyes. "Is it….are _you…_?"

Justin stared at him, confused, for a few seconds before he understood in a flash what the man was asking. "No," he was quick to tell him. "It's not ME. But I think I know who it IS." He watched the man as he continued to refuse to take his eyes off him now. He noticed the man was about to say something further when another voice close by – the female one of Brian's grandmother, no doubt – was heard to say, "Sean? Who _is _it?" Justin longed to be able to see beyond the older man to get a good look at Brian's grandmother – to see if there was any resemblance to his partner in some way – but he was frustrated in his attempt by the taller frame of her husband. "Sean?" he heard her say again, as she waited for his response.

Her husband continued to look at Justin for a few seconds more before he slowly opened the storm door a few feet and said, "Maybe you'd better come in." He stood to the side to allow Justin to enter before he closed the storm door shut and, deciding to leave the main door open, told Justin to follow him.

As Justin walked closely behind him in the hallway, they quickly came to a living room running off to the left side with a curved, open archway as the entrance. Now that the opening was quite a bit wider, Justin finally had a look at who he felt sure was Brian's grandmother; he gasped softly as he noticed the same hazel eyes resting in a wizened, wrinkle-lined face of an elegantly-dressed woman with softly-curling gray hair sitting on the couch nearby. "Sean…." She began to say once again, before she noticed Justin walking in behind her husband and she stopped to take a good look at their visitor. She glanced up, puzzled, at her husband as he walked in and stood next to Justin.

"Uh…..Kathy, I'd like you to meet…" he stopped a little awkwardly as he realized he hadn't been introduced to the man who had just made one of the most astounding statements he had ever heard. He turned questioningly to Justin as the blond answered softly, "Justin…Justin Taylor." Justin walked over to the petite woman and shook her hand briefly and softly before he softly released his grip.

The woman smiled at him and answered, "Well, my name's Kathy – Kathy Blackwell. This is my husband, Sean. It's nice to meet you," she said congenially. "Please sit down," she instructed Justin, who, after a moment's hesitation, sat down a few feet away in a navy-blue recliner chair; he leaned his portfolio against the piece of furniture before placing the photo album in his lap. "Do we know you?" she asked then, a little confused, as she looked up at her husband for a confirmation.

Mr. Blackwell shook his head as he walked over to sit down next to his wife on the couch. "No, Kathy," he verified tenderly as he took her hand in his. "But I think we might need to listen to what Mr. Taylor has to say. He says he's here with some information about Lydia's _child_."

Justin watched as the woman's face paled and she gasped in shock. "Lydia's _child_?" she whispered painfully; it was obvious to Justin by the expression on her face that the woman was still mourning the loss of her daughter, even after all this time. "Our _grandchild?_" she said breathlessly, her voice barely able to be heard as she looked over at her husband, then at Justin. "Are YOU….her _child_?" she finally asked, in a repeat of what her husband had already asked him. After all, the young man looking at her appeared to be about the right age, although he _did_ look a little too young.

Justin shook his head a little regretfully. "No, Mrs. Blackwell," he told her gently. "But I think I know who IS." Not sure how else to dispense this shocking, life-changing information, he reached into his pocket and drew out the precious, folded, yellowed piece of paper that had started this whole journey of discovery. He leaned over to hold it out for Mr. Blackwell to retrieve it; the older man slowly opened up the piece of paper and leaned in closer to his wife so she could study it as well. Justin waited a few seconds for them to review it; the only sound he could hear now was the regular panting of _Butterscotch_, who had thankfully gone to lie in his or her dog bed located near the end of the couch. Apparently, as long as his or her two masters decided Justin could come in, he wasn't much of a threat now.

"Oh, my _God_," he heard Mr. Blackwell finally say as he shook his head in stunned disbelief. "After all this time…..Oh, my God," he repeated softly. As he finally looked up into the eyes of his wife, Justin noticed both of their eyes were filled with tears. "I don't _believe this_," he told Justin, still shaking his head in an attempt to believe what he was seeing. "I had given up so long ago…." He looked over at Justin and asked, "I'll be damned...How did you _get_ this?"

Justin pondered how best to answer that question. Should he be up front with them from the get-go about it being in his _partner's_ mother's closet – his _FIANCE'S_ mother's closet? Were they ready to hear – and _accept_ – that information? He knew he was going to tell them the entire truth before he left today in either case, but them being able to accept Brian was a no-brainer requirement of his before he would even consider allowing them to _meet_ Brian; did he have to tell them everything at _once_, however? He finally decided to start out a little slowly as he explained, "I was helping to clean out the house of someone who had died recently and found this in a box at the top of her bedroom closet. The box said "papers" on it, and most of them were just old newspaper clippings. But that certificate was at the very bottom of it. I had a private detective do some research into the parents and he was able to come up with your daughter's name as the mother." Justin stopped for a few seconds before he slowly continued with compassion in his voice, "He…he told me about your daughter, though, being killed about ten years ago. I'm so sorry." _You don't know HOW sorry I am – for both you and especially for BRIAN._

Kathy Blackwell nodded as she continued to look down at the paper being held shakily in her husband's hands. "Thank you," she whispered; Justin could hear a slight sniffle escape her nose as a few tears trailed down her cheek; he wasn't quite sure if she was thanking him for his expression of sympathy, or for the news he had just given them – perhaps it was both. He watched, fascinated, as her husband reached over and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks. "It's okay, Sweetheart," her husband reassured her; he reached his hand around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him as Justin's own eyes started to tear over from the tender, affectionate, and loving picture the couple presented. It was SO totally different from any display Justin assumed _Brian_ had ever witnessed with any of his "pretend" family. Sean Blackwell looked over at Justin to explain, "It's still _hard_ for both of us – even after all this time." The man looked down again at the piece of paper being held in his hands before he finally reached over to return it to Justin, saying, "You said you might know who Lydia's child is."

Justin watched now as both husband and wife stared back at him intently, waiting for his reply. "Yes," he verified softly. As soon as he had placed the certificate protectively back in his pocket, he opened up the photo album on his lap and thumbed through a couple of pages before finding the photo he was seeking. It was a side shot of Brian sitting at one of Debbie's get-togethers last year – he thought it was probably Thanksgiving, from the look at the number of people present and the food spread out all over the house. Justin had just purchased a digital camera a few days before and had been experiencing inordinate glee in taking surreptitious shots of his fiancé when he didn't know it; he had planned on using them frequently over the subsequent months to paint Brian to his heart's content; after all, Brian had always provided him with the best inspiration for his greatest – and most successful – works. He held the opened album out to Mr. Blackwell, who took it from his hands and, just like with the certificate, leaned toward his wife so, too, could observe what he had.

_Okay…..this is the first test_, Justin decided. "That's Brian…my _fiancé_," he said firmly – and proudly.

He watched scrupulously for their reactions, noticing their expressions went from registering mild surprise and then to mild shock as they stared at the photo. "Kathy! Do you notice _it_?" Mr. Blackwell said. "My God…" he murmured.

Justin's brows narrowed in puzzlement; he was unable to completely decipher what that sentence meant. "Mr. Blackwell?" he asked curiously. "_WHAT do you notice_?" He couldn't stand the suspense – were they going to admit that Brian was, indeed, their grandchild, or were they somehow going to deny it, maybe because of his sexual orientation?

"I'm sorry," Mr. Blackwell said quickly as he shook his head; Justin's heart began to sink at that statement – they were going to refuse to acknowledge that Brian was related to them after all; that was his worst fear about this whole plan. _Damn it_.

As he began to rise with the intention of snatching the photo album back and walking quickly out of there, Mr. Blackwell quickly added, "No…what I _mean_ is that I'm sorry I'm not explaining myself well…..What I'm _trying_ to say is that your Brian is the spitting image of his _father_."

_Father_. _FATHER!_ Justin's heart started to pound rapidly at THAT statement, as he watched Blackwell's wife nod her head vigorously in agreement. My God – they must know Brian's FATHER‼ "You…you know the _father?_" He HAD to know…_God, please let him be right….._

Mr. Blackwell nodded. "Yes…..we do. And he could be Brian's twin, at least in the future. My God – they look SO much alike – the same hair color, the same build, the same face shape, the same nose…and he's on the tall side, about 6' 3". About the only difference is the eyes; Fin's eyes are blue instead of…..hazel?" he asked Justin to verify – with the photo, it was kind of hard to tell; besides, with Brian, it seemed like his eye color was always changing depending upon his mood – it was one of the things that always had intrigued Justin about him.

"Fin?" Justin asked raptly from his chair as he nodded confirmation about Brian's eye color; as bits and pieces of information about Brian's apparent father came unbidden from the older man's lips, Justin found himself feeling like a human sponge, anxiously trying to soak up any bit of knowledge about the man who was partly responsible for bringing his fiancé into the world.

Sean Blackwell nodded. "It's actually short for Fintan – _Fintan O'Connor_. In high school, though, everybody called him Fin from what Lydia told us – he HATED his formal name back then. Of course, now in business he prefers the _full_ name; he says it makes him sound more _important_. As if the man needed to be any MORE important."

_Fintan O'Connor_. An unusual name, to be sure, but _definitely_ an IRISH name; was that more than just a coincidence? And for some reason, the name sounded _familiar_. Why, he had no idea. "Fintan O'Connor?" Justin repeated. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" he asked idly to no one in particular.

He heard Mr. Blackwell snort. "It sure should. Fin's probably the best-known state senator in Pennsylvania. He's been in office now for almost 15 years, and has the most seniority at the state capitol. There's even been talk about him running for Governor later this year."

Of course – no _wonder_ the man sounded familiar. He had read about the man often before, although oddly enough, he had never seen an actual picture of him, no doubt because he represented a different district than Pittsburgh. "Yeah," Justin answered thoughtfully. "Now that you explain who he _is,_ I know why he sounds so familiar. I've never seen a picture of him, though."

"Kathy? Where we'd put that newspaper article of him the other day? Do we still have it? I haven't taken the recycling over to the dumpster yet," he told his wife. She nodded and rose quickly to walk over to a rectangular-shaped, wicker basket to methodically leaf through a medium-sized stack of newspapers before she found what she was looking for. "Here it is," she said, as she walked over to Justin with a folded piece of paper and held it out to him. "It's not a very clear shot of him – and unfortunately it's not in color – but you can still see the incredible resemblance."

Justin found his hands were trembling now as he reached to take the piece of paper out of Mrs. Blackwell's hand to look at the photo of the man who was apparently Brian's real father. He inhaled a sharp intake of breath and clapped his hand over his mouth in astonishment as he immediately recognized who she was referring to – Brian's grandparents had been _right_; the man was so like Brian that he could have been his older double. In that instant, Justin's answer about who Brian's father was fell into place – there could be no doubt it was THIS man. "My God," he said. "It IS his father, isn't it? I don't _believe _it." He shook his head in stunned disbelief. He had been hoping all along since he had found the certificate that Brian really DID have a different father than the horrid, vicious son of a bitch that had _pretended_ to be his father, but to actually find out he was _right_ was unbelievable. "His _father_…" he murmured. Well, that was ONE big part solved, but it was just the beginning of what he needed to know. "Your daughter…..Brian's _mother_…could you tell me about her?"

The couple passed a mutually tender look between them before Kathy nodded at her husband, who said, "Of course – as painful as it is sometimes to talk about her, we never want to forget her. She was a _wonderful_ daughter, and we miss her very much. She was rather tall – had the most gorgeous auburn-colored hair – just like her son, from what I can see – she AND Fin oddly had the _same_ hair color. We always kidded her that she waited until she found a boy who had the same color hair before she became interested in one," he explained, smiling in remembrance. "Anyway – she had these vivid, hazel eyes – just like her mother," he said, glancing over fondly at his wife. "Looks like your fiancé inherited those as well. And it's no wonder he has the same hair color, coming from _both_ sides of the family."

Justin noticed to his relief and satisfaction that Mr. Blackwell appeared to be accepting Brian's unusual place in his life without judgment – that was a _good_ sign. He smiled back at the older man and asked him, "Please tell me more about her. The detective that I hired said he had seen her in a copy of her high school yearbook and said she had acted in some of the school plays."

Mrs. Blackwell laughed softly. "That's an _understatement_," she told him as her husband nodded his head and smiled. "She caught the acting bug when she was just a few years old. She was always the most adorable ham as soon as she could walk. When all the other little girls were playing with Strawberry Shortcake and Easy Bake Ovens, Lydia spent all her free time watching Shirley Temple movies. She even had me curl her hair the same way and insisted I get a blue, short-sleeve dress made for her that looked just like the ones the actress used to wear. Even had the frills underneath. You should have seen her when she put that dress and her _shoes_ on – she even took tap dancing lessons for several years before she became a teenager. Once she hit junior high, though, and found out there was a drama club for all students the way through high school, she was absolutely hooked. She could sing like an angel, as well as act, and started out as a singing extra in her first play. By the time she had been cast for her third role, she was the female lead," she told Justin, the pride evident in her voice as the memories started washing over her. "She was in so many plays in her freshman and sophomore years, and everyone _loved_ her in them."

Justin watched as Brian's grandmother became quiet as she reflected on her daughter's 2nd year of high school – the year she became pregnant with Brian. "Sean and I had been so careful about cautioning Lydia about the dangers of becoming pregnant without protection. We weren't some of those parents that think if they bury their heads in the sand, it won't happen. We encouraged our daughter to confide in us about her worries, her fears, as well as her goals. Lydia had met Fin at the beginning of the school year as a sophomore – he had moved to Johnstown from Hershey over the summer, and they met in home room. He was very handsome, even a little cocky, you might say. But Lydia fell hard for him – I think from the first day she saw him. She told us about him the first day she came home from school, and he asked her to go to the Homecoming game and dance the month after that. In fact, that was the first time we met him – when he came over her to pick her up. He was very charming as well as good-looking, and we could tell by the look on Lydia's face that she was absolutely smitten with him. Truth be told, so were _we._" She smirked in recollection. "The boy brought Lydia – and ME – a corsage that night, and had the most wonderful smile. He was very debonair for a sophomore boy. I always kidded Sean that if I hadn't been married and had been about 20 years younger, _I_ would have grabbed him for _myself_."

She looked over at her husband, who shook his head in amusement. "Lucky for me, I saw her first and she didn't have any luck turning back the clock…..although she's _still_ the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Justin noticed the woman blushing a shade of pink at the compliment from her husband; he couldn't help staring at their warm interaction and expressions of love on their faces – it was so unlike anything Brian must have endured while growing up. _What a shame he couldn't have met them earlier_.

Sean squeezed his wife's hand and continued the narration. "Lydia couldn't stop talking about this boy – it was _Fin said this_ and _Fin did that_. It was nonstop – and SO obvious that she was falling in love with this boy. We knew if we tried to keep her from seeing him, she would just rebel and do it anyway; besides, we actually _liked _him, too." Mr. Blackwell became somber as he added softly, "We just wish they had been more careful. They were both so young, and I never DID agree with our daughter's decision."

Justin glanced over at the couple, puzzled; _what_ decision? "You mean about the pregnancy?" Did Brian's grandparents try to talk their daughter into getting an abortion? Just the thought of that happening – and him never meeting the man he was so deeply in love with – filled him with sadness. Thank God she did not choose that route so long ago.

"No, no….." Kathy assured him. "We are devout Catholics – we would have _never_ condoned getting an abortion as a way out of her situation. What Sean meant is that we wished Lydia had been more careful and not gotten pregnant at all. Then she wouldn't have felt the need to lie and withhold it."

Justin started at that revelation – _lie and withhold it?_ "I'm not sure what you mean….."

An undecipherable look passed between the couple before Mr. Blackwell revealed, "Lydia came to us in early spring that year and confessed she was pregnant. She said she had only been with Fin, so he HAD to be the father. But she was ashamed of what she had done – especially after we had encouraged her to be open with us. She knew better than to have sex unprotected – but she said the two of them had been so much in love and it had happened so unexpectedly one night in an episode of passion when Fin's parents were out of town that they didn't think about the consequences. After that first time, he DID go out and get condoms. But once was all it took – our daughter wound up pregnant from that one time. Only problem was – she was so inexperienced when it came to knowing what it felt like to be pregnant that she didn't even realize she WAS pregnant until three months later; she just thought her period was messed up by her extra-curricular activities in drama club and cheerleading. Even then, she was barely showing. But Fin had recently told her how excited he was that he had been accepted on the varsity football squad for the coming year, and she was so afraid that if he knew she was pregnant, he would want to quit school to try and support her and the baby. We tried to tell her WE would help her raise the child, but she just didn't want to saddle us with the responsibility. No matter how many times we pleaded with her – we _really_ did want a grandchild, even though not especially in THAT manner – the decision ultimately was hers. So we let her move away to live with an aunt in Pittsburgh until she gave birth in July that year and gave the child up for adoption. The adoption was sealed so we had no way of knowing at the time whom the adoptive parents were."

Justin sat in rapt attention while this story about Brian's mother unfolded; in a way it was so familiar and yet so strange. Familiar in that it had to have happened to countless other unwed mothers over the years, but strange that they were actually talking about his fiancé's _birth mother_. The whole episode was so surreal to him. "So she left town without even telling the father she was pregnant? He never knew?" _Was it possible this man didn't even know he had a son?_

He noticed Mrs. Blackwell averting her eyes from him – was it in shame? So it was true? "Yes," she finally whispered, as she slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. "She didn't want him to feel responsible for what happened and ruin what might be a very promising football career." She laughed softly in irony. "Once Lydia came back into town after she gave birth, Fin had already moved away again with his parents. The next we heard about him was several years later after he had won his first seat in the Senate. His hoped-for football career went up in a puff of smoke when he had a bad knee injury at college," she explained. "We tried to get Lydia to go see him and tell him he had a son somewhere, but she refused. She didn't want to open old wounds, and she had her own career by then as a fashion designer. Was quite good at it, too, in fact." The woman's eyes teared up as she divulged, "She was in her car on the way to a spring fashion show in New York City when she had her accident on the freeway. The son of a bitch that hit her never stopped, and despite the police following all sorts of leads, the bastard who killed our daughter was never apprehended." Her voice caught in her throat as she whispered, "Her death left us with such a big hole to fill – there's not a day that goes by that we don't miss her."

Justin was captivated by this tale of Brian's family – his REAL family. He sat quietly as this older couple poured their pain out to him, and their loss, not only for their daughter but also their grandson. Well, at least he could help to ease _some_ of their pain. "That's why I'm here," he told them with a wistful smile. "I was hoping to find Brian's _real_ family before we got married. I'd like YOU – and Brian's father – to be my wedding present to him – _before_ the wedding." He held his breath in anticipation as he asked them, "Would you like to meet him?"

Mr. Blackwell looked over to his wife for her response; he knew what HE wanted, but he would abide by his wife's wishes. Finally, she turned to Justin and smiled. "We would both like to get to know him very much…it will almost be like having our daughter with us again." Mr. Blackwell nodded his head and smiled in response, confirming his agreement as well.

Justin smiled back at them in relief. "That's great," he told them. "I can't wait for him to meet you – he has NO idea you even exist, much less his father." Mention of Brian's father made him falter. "What ABOUT Senator O'Connor? How do you think he'll feel about meeting a son he doesn't even know about? Is he married? Does he have any children?" Apart from recognizing the name, Justin didn't know anything else about this man – what if he was married, had children of his own, and wanted nothing at all to DO with Brian? That would break Brian's heart, although he would probably deny it. In a way, it would be worse than Brian not knowing about it at ALL. Maybe until he could find out for himself, he'd be better off not to tell his fiancé about his father. But what about his grandparents? Justin was impressed with their affectionate attitude toward each other and their seeming willingness to accept his and Brian's relationship. Should he reunite them now? Or wait until he talked to Brian's father first?

He looked back over at Brian's grandparents as Mr. Blackwell responded, "After he pestered us numerous times about Lydia's whereabouts, he finally gave up asking us right before he moved away. That was the last contact we had with him, but from what we've read in the papers and in magazines, he's a bachelor – never been married. It's really anybody's guess why he never married – and how he'll react to finding out he has a son he didn't even know he had. I wish I could tell you what he would say, but I really couldn't tell you. It's been so long since we last spoke to him, I have no idea what he's like now."

The man added quickly, though, "But no matter how HE might react, Mr. Taylor, WE want to meet Brian…..our _grandson_." Justin noticed the catch in Mrs. Blackwell's voice as she said the last word; if nothing else, that convinced him that they really DID want to meet him and get to know him. He nodded and smiled back at them. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you do," he told them sincerely. "We're getting married on the grounds of our home in three weeks, but I'd like to take you to meet him before then. We actually live about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Would you be willing to come there to meet him?"

The couple exchanged a look of agreement before Mr. Blackwell told Justin, "You just tell us the time and place and we'll be there," he assured him. "_Nothing_ could stop us from meeting our grandson – we never had any other grandchildren, you know," he said emotionally. "So this is like a dream come true for us."

Justin had to ask them one more thing – just to be sure. "So you're alright with…..me – and Brian? I mean, you said you're Catholic….."

Mr. Blackwell peered over at Justin intently. "Yes, we are," he told him. "Go to mass every Sunday. And truthfully, I don't think neither Kathy nor I quite understand the concept. But I believe the Good Lord put everyone on this planet for a reason, and he does not make mistakes. So there must be a reason why he made you – and Brian – the way he did. It's not for us to judge others. As long as your fiancé – our _grandson_ – I STILL can't believe I'm _saying that_," he murmured, "As long as you're happy – and our grandson is a good man – we don't care."

Justin's heart warmed at this couple's honest – but accepting – attitude; how refreshing after listening to his own father's tyrannical tirades and hearing about Brian's horrible childhood AND adulthood at the hands of his adoptive parents. At last, perhaps his fiancé was about to get the family he so richly deserved and craved so badly. "He is," Justin told them firmly. "He's a _wonderful _man. And a wonderful FATHER." Justin smiled broadly at their looks of astonishment. _Just when you thought there weren't any more surprises_. "It's a long story – but you're also _GREAT grandparents._" The delighted looks on the other couple just solidified his opinion of them as he pondered how to proceed next.

He still had to work out the logistics of meeting Brian's father – and trying to figure out how and when to get everyone reunited – but for now there was another important matter that needed to be taken care of. "Let me tell you about your grandson and HIS son," he told them proudly as he reached over to retrieve his portfolio; it was time to get this family better acquainted with each other.


	7. Dr Kinney's Brand of TLC

_Same Day – Mid-Afternoon_

Justin found himself humming a hopeful tune as he drove back to Britin from Johnstown. He was armed now not only with numerous tidbits about Brian's biological mother, but also all kinds of photos Kathy and Sean Blackwell had generously given him so he could make copies before they met their grandson for the first time. They had also requested Justin let them temporarily keep the photo album he had brought for them to see so they could do the same. He couldn't help smiling at that thought, imaging his fiancé's reaction when he learned not only about his adoption, but more importantly, about a set of grandparents that were eager to meet him and get to know him. Not only that, they were willing to accept him for who he _was_; that was clearly a major difference between them and Brian's name-only, asshole _adoptive_ parents. He couldn't wait to tell Brian all about his _real_ family. His anxious anticipation of that reunion, however, was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that he _also_ had another reunion he urgently wanted to arrange – between Brian and his real father, the influential senator from Pennsylvania who could very well become the state's next governor. How was this man going to react to the news that he had a _son_? From what Brian's grandparents had told him, their daughter had never told Fintan O'Connor that he even HAD a son; apparently, also, the man had never married and didn't have any children. Did he even _want_ a child? More importantly, would he _welcome_ the news or refuse to even acknowledge him? Justin had made a promise to himself that he would tell his fiancé about his father, whether the man wanted to meet him or not. But if the man rejected him, he desperately hoped to avoid having to tell Brian about it until _after_ they were married – he had no intention of destroying his and Brian's happiness before or during the ceremony. Call him selfish, but he wanted one, albeit temporary period of bliss before he had to tell Brian the distressing news that his newly-located biological father didn't want any more to do with him than his adoptive mother and father did. He sighed nervously; he hated to keep anything from the man he loved, but he really wanted to spare Brian any unnecessary pain if he could. He would, therefore, run interference on his behalf until he could be sure of what the ultimate outcome would be.

The ringing of his cell phone abruptly shattered his reflective musing; as his heart returned to its normal cadence, he reached over to the passenger seat and flipped the phone open to greet the object of his musing. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey yourself," was the tender refrain; even now, after all this time, just a couple of words from Brian and it made Justin's pulse race; truth be told, it could _also_ have to do with his current subterfuge but he knew enough to be aware that wasn't _all_ there was to it. "What're you _up _to, Sunshine?" was the casual query. "I'm know what _I'm UP_ to," he said teasingly.

"Brian," Justin murmured shyly. He couldn't understand how this man could still make him feel like a giddy virgin at times, just by the tone of his voice, but he _could_. "You're _always_ UP to it," he quipped back at him kiddingly. "But you'll just have to control yourself until you get home. Try not to have anyone throw their dick at you until then, okay?"

"Huh," was the offended (albeit totally fake) reply. "I'll _try_," he said, sighing melodramatically. "But it's SO _hard_, though, Mr. Taylor," he said solemnly. "VERY, VERY _hard_."

"Oh?" Justin smiled to himself as he bantered back in the same playful tone of voice, although his fiance's sexy baritone cajoling was driving him crazy with want. "Sounds like a very _serious_ problem," he said sympathetically, clucking. "I'll just have to give it some _extra special Taylor loving care_ when you get home. When will that be, by the way?" he tried to sound casual, although inside he was concerned. He was still at least an hour away from Britin, and wanted to make sure he was home before Brian was. Brian still didn't have any idea what he was up to – after all, it _was_ supposed to be a surprise – and he didn't want to divulge what he was doing until he at least had a chance to talk to his fiancé's father and gauge his reaction as well.

He heard a sigh of frustrated displeasure. "Won't be for at least a couple more hours," Brian told him to his great relief, the disappointment evident in his voice. "You just be ready for my _proctoscope_ as soon as I get home, you got it?"

Justin laughed; _that _was a new one. "_Proctoscope?"_ he replied. "You must really have it_ bad_, Mr. Kinney," he purred. "I'll be ready and waiting, then," he said huskily in a seductive tone of voice that he always knew set his partner off even more. Justin made a concerted effort to mentally broadcast an image on him lying in their king-sized bed, undressed and waiting eagerly for his "examination" the instant his fiancé got home.

Sure enough, he heard a prompt response of warning. "Justin…You're NOT helping me concentrate on my work here at ALL."

"Who _started_ this line of questioning, _DR. Kinney_?" Justin retorted impertinently. "I was getting along just fine until YOU called and made me horny as hell." That part was certainly true enough; just thinking about the good Dr. Kinney "probing" him with his "instrument" as soon as he got home had immediately made him hard as a rock. _Damn the man_….

"Well, _someone else_ has the same fucking problem, _Mr. Taylor_," was the stern admonition. "You just be ready when I get home, mister, you got it?"

Justin chuckled. "I'll be ready, willing, and definitely _able,_ Doctor," Justin assured him. "Now get back to work so you can get done _faster."_

He could almost hear the smirk in his fiancé's voice and the curling of his lips under in amusement as Brian responded, "Yes, _sir_. Doctor Kinney over and out."

Justin laughed as he shut the phone off and placed it back on the passenger side seat. Even though he really had no idea what Senator O'Connor's reaction would be, just speaking to this man he dearly loved made him feel optimistic that everything would turn out all right somehow; it simply HAD to.

* * *

_Two Hours Later – Britin_

Justin sat down on the study's couch, a fire crackling directly in front of him to help ward off an unseasonably cool day in West Virginia. Ever since Brian had proposed to him in this room, he had been in love with it as _well_ as the man. No matter what kind of shitty day he might be experiencing, one look at this room and the wonderful memories it held and he couldn't help feeling better. As the fire continued to burn strongly, he opened the laptop he had propped up on his knees and waited impatiently for it to boot up. He couldn't wait to read up on Senator O'Connor and more importantly, get a clearer look at him. Just that one glance at the rather grainy, black-and-white photo Brian's grandparents had showed him in the paper and he could instantly see the resemblance between him and his son. He anxiously, though, wanted to see a clearer photo online to study him more closely.

As he googled the senator's name, he located his official website. He noticed his hands actually shaking as he clicked on the address and waited excitedly for the page to appear. As it finally opened up and he at last was able to see a large-sized, clear color photo of the man who was Brian's biological father, he gasped in shock. _My God. _If you had taken his sexy, smoldering beast of a fiancé and aged him about 20 years down the road, _THIS _was without a doubt what he would look like – what he WILL look like. Senator O'Connor was still mainly a brunet but with small wisps of gray at the temples, making him appear more distinguished than Brian but still displaying the same sort of elegant, classic muscular frame as his son. The photo Justin stared at was of the senator sitting perched on the edge of a massive, oak desk. His profile was identical, from the generous lips up to the shape of his nose and all the way up to the forehead. Although he never in a million years would do it, Justin could almost imagine himself running his hands over this man's body because he _already_ knew – and _loved_ – the same type of body so well. This man was the spitting image of how Brian would undoubtedly look in the future. _Now I know where Brian got his good genes. Thank you, Senator._ He smiled at the thought of TWO sexy-as-hell Kinney/O'Connor lookalikes running around Britin. _What a sensory feast for the eyes THAT would be….._

As he forced himself to concentrate on the written information instead, he noticed with interest that Senator O'Connor was actively involved in numerous philanthropic organizations, which was admirable, but unfortunately there was no mention made of anything having to do with gay rights. He _did_ seem interested in a wide variety of charities, running the gamut from environmental interests to animal rights to union representation. The man was obviously highly intelligent – Justin noticed with amazement that the Senator, too, had been educated at Penn State – but how he felt when it came to being part of a family – much less in the role of a father of a gay male – was impossible to ascertain from the information he was able to glean off the website.

Several more minutes spent reviewing numerous other mentions of the man on other web pages provided some tidbits of personal information regarding Brian's biological father; it _did _mention him growing up in the Johnstown area, but said nothing regarding his views on gay rights – or gays in general. Would this man be open to their lifestyle? Or would he be derisive of it and not want to have anything to do with the man who was apparently his only child?

There could only be one to find out for sure, then – he would have to pay the good Senator a visit _personally_. In truth, he wouldn't have it any other way. Only by speaking to him in person could he really tell how the man would honestly react to him and his fiancé. This was all going to be part of his gift of love to the MAN he loved.

As he heard the familiar turning of a key in the front door, he just barely had enough time to command his laptop to shut down and hastily close the lid to place it on the coffee table before "Dr. Kinney" appeared in the hallway. "Ah, Mr. Taylor…..just the _patient_ I wanted to see," he announced formally, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and smirking at him in that way that made Justin's heart start to pound in delicious anticipation.

Justin couldn't help laughing at his partner's schmaltzy come-on line. "Well, wiggle your sexy little ass over here, _Dr. Kinney_, and give your adoring patient a big, sloppy kiss," he whispered lustily as he held his arms up above his head in preparation for a much-anticipated assault. Sure enough, a few seconds later, he felt a pair of long arms snake themselves around his neck and roam downward on his chest possessively as warm, soft lips planted a kiss on his neck. "Hmmm," he murmured appreciatively, as he brought his own arms up to cradle the nuzzling head. "I hurt all over, Doctor," he whispered flirtatiously. "Do you have an _antidote_?"

He head a chuckle as Brian's lips tickled his throat. "I think Dr. Kinney knows just what you need," the brunet whispered in his ear, taking a brief opportunity to plant a love bite on Justin's earlobe and getting a whimper of pleasure in response. "Come with me to the _examination room_ and I'll be happy to SHOW you how I take care of men with your type of problem."

Justin huffed. "There'd better be only ONE man you're taking care of from now on, _Doctor_," he scolded him playfully, as he practically purred in response to the onslaught of butterfly kisses now being peppered all over his neck. He instinctively wrapped his hands over the lean, taut arms that currently held him willingly captive against the back of the couch cushion.

"Did you remember to bring your _proctoscope?"_ Justin asked him hopefully. "I get so horny around new technology," he explained, eliciting another chuckle, even louder this time, from the _doctor._

"You BET, Mister," he heard the deep rumble in his partner's voice, which made him feel EVEN more in need of an urgent "inspection. "A long, _extra-strong _one." Brian reinforced his "prescription" by abruptly standing back up and pulling Justin's arms along up with him. Never releasing his hold on one of the blond's pale hands, he walked around the couch to finally pull the smaller man up into an almost breathtaking embrace.

"We'll start with an _oral exam_, first, though….can you open up and say "Ah?" he asked, just before his lips came smashing down onto Justin's as the blond's laugh tickled his mouth in a delightful response.

"Ahhhhh," Justin murmured obediently against him, giggling as they continued to kiss deeply.

The occasional crackling of the fireplace was the only other sound heard in the room for several seconds as they continued to reacquaint themselves with each other's lips, tongues, and bodies until finally Brian reluctantly allowed just enough space between them to catch their breaths when he pulled back slightly to stare into his partner's eyes. Still holding Justin tightly in his arms, his hands slowly, teasingly traveled over the blond's back as he gazed adoringly into the crystal blue, sapphire eyes shining back at him in reflection of his own feelings. "Ready for the _thorough exam_ now, Mr. Taylor?" he whispered, smiling back at him.

"Oh, I DEFINITELY need the _comprehensive exam_," Justin confirmed, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "From _HEAD_ to toe." He reached up to slowly feather his fingers through the soft brown hair at Brian's neck as he gazed back at him affectionately.

Okay – Brian couldn't stand it any longer – even _doctors_ had a limit to their patience, especially _horny_ ones being driven absolutely driven crazy by a sexy voice. "To hell with the goddamn bedside manner," he abruptly snarled. "You've got a _serious_ disease here, Mr. Taylor – _lovesickness._ Only one cure for that."

Justin feigned horror. "But in the immortal words of Diana Ross, Doctor, if there's a cure for this, I don't _want_ it," he replied impertinently, pursing his lips in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his glee at his partner's rare attempt at corny humor; whenever his partner participated in this type of comedic banter, he fucking _loved it_.

Brian looked at his fiancé in undisguised delight as he couldn't help smiling in return. _You crazy, adorable twat_, were the words that came unbidden to his mind as he shook his head_._ "Fine by me, then, Mr. Taylor," he replied abruptly. "You made your bed, now you'll just have to _fuck in _it."

Justin squealed, and instinctively wrapped his legs around Brian's waist as his own personal physician unexpectedly reached down to snatch him up in his arms and forcefully carry him upstairs to their bedroom to commence with his _examination_. The blond's soft giggling was the only sound heard until their bedroom door closed forcefully and _remained_ closed for the conceivable future. After all, a thorough medical examination took considerable _time_…..

_

* * *

_

Early Evening

"Justin? What was that fucking noise?" Brian slowly opened his eyes as he lay on his back in their bed and turned his head to gaze at the tousled head of his "patient."

"_What_ noise, _Dr. Kinney?_" After the "examination" he had been subjected to nonstop for the past two hours, it was all Justin could do at the moment to open his eyes; he was feeling thoroughly sated in a glorious, languid, pleasurable stupor after being thoroughly _fucked_ by the good doctor. He would never think of rectal exams in quite the same way EVER again, he thought as he smiled broadly at the memory.

"I know that sound…It was your stomach, Mr. Taylor. Did you remember to eat today…..that is, before you ate my ASS?" Brian smirked.

Justin reflected on that question. No, he actually had NOT eaten today – any _food, _anyway. He had left early this morning so he could arrive at Johnstown as soon as possible, and between rushing home to wait for his partner and doing researching on Brian's father on the internet, he had simply _forgotten_ to eat in all the excitement.

"Uh…..actually, no, I haven't eaten all day. No _wonder_ I was so _ravenous_ for you," he quipped in an attempt to divert his partner from his line of questioning…..He knew his partner well enough, however, to know that he would realize something was weird if he hadn't eaten all day – after all, after being fucked by Brian and working on his art, Justin's third favorite activity in the world was eating. If hadn't eaten, then, there must be a good reason for it….

"Why haven't you eaten today, Justin?" was the probing question that came from the other side of the bed. Justin averted his eyes as he felt the back of Brian's hand slowly caress his cheek in an attempt to get his attention; he quickly tried to concentrate in the face of Brian's gentle concern and come up with a plausible reason why before answering. He wasn't quite ready to say, b_ecause I went to see your grandparents and was TOO busy to eat…._

"I was trying to finish up an art project for the gallery downtown that's due tomorrow and just forgot the time, that's all," he finally said somewhat lamely, regretting the need to lie to his partner. He silently tried to justify it by telling himself that he _would_ tell Brian the truth – the _whole_ truth – soon. _Just give me a little more time_…

"That's not good, Sunshine," he heard Brian say. He was forced to look his partner in the eyes when the brunet gently but firmly grasped him by the chin and turned his head toward his. "You must have really been swept up in your latest piece to forget to eat," he told him teasingly.

"Where are you going?" Justin asked him, as he abruptly felt the warm hand of his partner's leave his face as he watched Brian raise himself up in their bed.

"I'm going to go get you something to eat," he told him, as he smoothly slipped from their bed. "All good patients need food to keep up their strength – especially after a good fuck." He twisted his face in amusement as he looked over at the pout on his lover's face – a look that clearly said _get the fuck back into BED._

Justin sighed; he knew when he saw that look on Brian's face that he wasn't going to be dissuaded from his plan – he always had that same determined look whether he was pursuing a new client or deciding what was in Justin's best interests. _Well, if I can't be with Brian in bed, I can at least EAT with him_. "I'm coming with you," Justin quickly decided, rising from the other side of the bed to join him.

"You tell me that ALL the time," Brian quipped back saucily as Justin rolled his eyes.

"Are all the workers gone?" Justin asked him; he knew they normally left before this time, and while he and Brian were not necessarily the most modest of people, he still didn't want to parade around naked in front of everyone – and he _definitely_ didn't want his sexy partner doing it, either – although he had no doubt Brian WOULD, partly just to tick him off and prove that he still HAD it. _Well, the rest of you can just fucking eat your heart out – this man is MINE – ALL MINE,_ he couldn't help thinking to himself smugly.

Brian softly padded over to their massive front window to take a look at the circular driveway below. He turned around to admire his own version of a blond angel as he advised him, "All clear, Sunshine. I'm all yours." He held out his hands to his partner in invitation as Justin walked over to join him at the window.

"And don't you EVER fucking forget it," he told the brunet sternly, just before he was enfolded into a tight, possessive embrace that spoke volumes in its simplicity. They kissed passionately for several seconds before Brian reluctantly broke them apart. "Keep that up and we won't get out of the bedroom, _Mr. Taylor_," he scolded him somewhat breathlessly.

"Ow!" Justin rubbed his ass where Brian had just delivered a quick smack on the left cheek.

"Nice try, though, Sunshine…Now get that perky little butt downstairs for dinner."

* * *

_The Next Morning – 7:00 a.m._

As much as Justin always hated to see Brian leave because it meant several hours of being apart from him, for a change today he was _glad_ to see him leave. Glad because he could get moving on his next part of his plan to surprise Brian with his one-of-a-kind wedding present. Today, he was going to drive to Harrisburg to pay a visit to Brian's father. It would be a three-hour drive, so he was thankful that Brian had left on time today for Kinnetik.

He had no delusions that if he had simply cold-called O'Connor's senate office and requested an appointment, he would have been dismissed as either some sort of political groupie or lunatic. No, he would have to drive there himself and hope that he could somehow convince the man's secretary that he HAD to see him. To Justin, there was no other option – he would fucking sit there all day until the man agreed to see him, or he would wind up calling Brian later in the day to tell him he had been arrested and was sitting in a jail cell after causing some type of disturbance. No, that wouldn't work – he HAD to persevere with this – everything was riding on it. He didn't quite know how he was going to do – he just knew he HAD to. Brian had always told him he was a persistent little fucker – well, as he walked out to his car and placed one of his art portfolios and yet another photo album stocked full of photos of him, Brian, and Gus into the trunk, he hoped that his persuasive charms would work on Brian's _father_ as well.

_

* * *

_

Three Hours Later

– 9:00 a.m.

Justin parked in one of the designated visitor parking spaces directly behind the large, gray-colored, stone capitol building. As he emerged from the car and peered up at the rear entrance, the artist in him couldn't help pausing for a few minutes to admire the green-topped, turreted dome that stood dominantly in the center of the building, which was obviously modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He had seen photos of international architectural landmarks often enough in art history class to recognize the influences seen here, from the statues grouped by the entrance to the materials that were used; he immediately realized the connection between this building and the iconic Italian structure.

Wishing he had more time to devote to studying the intriguing lines of the architectural design, he forced himself to turn away momentarily to retrieve the art portfolio and photo album he had placed in the trunk.

As he walked toward the back entrance's staircase, his palms began to sweat in nervous anticipation of his hoped-for meeting with Brian's father. Not only was he going to meet his fiancé's father – at least that was his determined goal, and he would settle for nothing less – he was going to visit a powerful and influential state senator. One of those realities would have been enough to make him nervous; knowing that shortly he may be presented with _both_ situations made him fucking terrified in a way. But his determination to do this for the man he loved made his resolve stronger as he slowly walked up the steps to open the gold-colored, heavy metal double doors leading to the circular rotunda.

As he stepped inside, however, he _had_ to pause again; the sight on the ceiling was simply too mesmerizing to ignore. Justin had been impressed with the green-colored, metal shingled roof of the rotunda outside; as he peered up at the interior of it, however, he was _astounded_. The interior of the rotunda dome was awash with all sorts of stained glass, marble, and gold leaf tiles, with historic figures encircling the top. It was absolutely beautiful and masterful in its emotion and intensity. His mouth hung open in admiration as he craned his neck upward in awe.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he suddenly heard nearby. As he lowered his gaze to turn around slightly to his left, he noticed a slender, well-dressed, blond-haired man in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and light-blue, pinstriped tie standing next to him and holding a black briefcase. The man smiled slightly at him in a polite introduction as he nodded up at the ceiling. "Most people who come in here never really pay it any mind – damn shame, really, because it's pretty amazing." He nodded up at the ceiling to verify he was talking about the overhead artistry.

Justin smiled politely in return and nodded. "Yes, it's absolutely incredible," he agreed congenially. In a way, he owed the man a thank you – he had managed to return his attention back to what he needed to do, and perhaps he could even be of assistance to him; this building was so formidable, he would definitely need some guidance on how to even locate Senator O'Connor's office. Apparently, due to security reasons, their whereabouts weren't widely advertised; at least, he hadn't seen any type of information desk or directory anywhere nearby.

"You an artist yourself?" the other man asked him curiously, his gaze settling on Justin's portfolio that he had slung across his left shoulder; he held the vital photo album in his other hand, curled under his arm protectively. Right now, to Justin this photo album and portfolio were more important than any gold bullion would ever be. "Yes," Justin confirmed, nodding slightly. "I guess that's why I notice those kinds of things more than the average visitor."

The stranger nodded his understanding. "Well, more people should pay attention to things like that. In here, though, it obviously takes a back seat to other matters."

Justin nodded again politely, deciding to see if this stranger could hopefully be of assistance to him. "Uh, if you don't mind…I've never been here before and I need to see someone. Could you by chance help point me in the right direction?"

The man eyed him curiously; for some reason, Justin's gaydar went off but not so much because the man was viewing him as a possible target; there was just something – he wasn't quite sure what – that made feel like this man could be an ally. It didn't necessarily mean the man was _gay_ – and maybe it came from being around one of the gaydar _"pros" – _his own fiancé – but there was just something about this man that made him feel that way.

"I'll try – I know my way around here pretty well. Where are you trying to go?" the man asked him.

"I need to find Senator O'Connor's office," he told the other man; Justin noticed with interest that the man visibly started at the sound of the other man's name. _Why would that evoke that sort of reaction in THIS man?_ Justin filed that bit of news in the back of his mind for another time, however; right now, he had much more important matters to attend to. "Could you give me an idea where I could find his office?"

Justin noticed the man hesitated for a few seconds, as if he were trying to compose himself, before he finally responded softly, "Yeah….I know where it is. Do you want me to take you there?"

Justin eyed him curiously now; this was either a tremendous coincidence or something else that he wasn't privy to was going on here. He didn't have time at the moment, though, to thoroughly analyze that fact, but decided instead to take advantage of whatever opportunity he could. "That would be great, if you have the time. I don't want to intrude on your schedule or anything."

The man shook his head in dismissal. "No problem," he told the blond. "I've got a few spare minutes. The name's Tony Cassinelli, by the way." He stuck out his hand in greeting.

Justin accepted the other man's hand and briefly shook it before releasing his grip. "Justin Taylor. Nice to meet you."

The other man nodded his acknowledgement. "You, too," he told Justin, as he nodded his head in a silent instruction for Justin to follow him as he began to walk toward a gleaming, marbled hallway that led off the main rotunda room. "So what kind of artist are you? Sculpture, clay, paint?"

"I paint," Justin responded as he fell into step with the other man. "Mostly oil on canvas, but sometimes other media."

Cassinelli nodded slightly. "You live around here?" Justin decided the question was merely an attempt to provide polite conversation as he shook his head no. "Actually, I'm from near Pittsburgh….I'm just here on a personal matter for the day." Although the man seemed innocuous enough, he wasn't about to go into great detail as to the reason for his visit; the first person after Senator O'Connor to know about the reason for his visit would be _Brian_, not this stranger.

"Personal business involving Senator _O'Connor_?" the other man pressed, sounding almost suspicious of his intentions.

Biting down a small tinge of annoyance at the persistence of the other man, he took a breath before answering, "Something like that. But I really can't go into detail…..it's a _private _matter." _That was ALL you were getting out of me, Buddy._ Why would this man care about the reason why he needed to see the senator? Justin wasn't about to provide any more information to this person, no matter HOW helpful he might be.

Thankfully, the other man seemed to accept that rather vague explanation as he raised his hands in compliance. "That's okay – I'm not surprised, actually; it seems like 99% of why people need to see one of their state senators is always cloaked in secrecy. I'm just trying to warn you from past experience that it can be harder than a Catholic schoolgirl sneaking into a boy's dormitory to actually get a personal one-on-one with a senator. You'd better hope you have better luck than most – you _do_ have an appointment, don't you?"

Justin looked over at the man sheepishly, providing all the answer Cassinelli needed. "Mr. Taylor….sorry for my bluntness, but if you haven't already set up an appointment with the man, you're wasting your time if you think you can just waltz into his outer office and expect to see him any time in the next YEAR, let alone today."

Justin stopped at that last remark and folded his arms stubbornly over his chest. "I appreciate your candor, Mr. Casinelli. But you don't know how important this is – and how _persistent_ I can be. No matter what you say, I intend to sit there all day if that's what it takes. The man has to come out eventually to eat or go to the bathroom, doesn't he? And I assume he DOES actually visit the main floor of the senate from time to time to actually _vote_ on legislative; after all, that IS what they're expected to do, isn't it?" This man, however helpful he was trying to be, was beginning to annoy him with his nay saying.

The other man paused in his steps to study the determined-looking blond defiantly staring back at him. He finally grinned lopsidedly. "Well, you certainly _sound_ determined, Mr. Taylor, I'll give you that much. But you obviously have never tried to see a state senator before, or visited their chamber. They have rear entrances and private bathrooms for privacy and security reasons – and to avoid persistent visitors exactly like _you_. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, so to speak – I'm just trying to steel you for the challenge you will be facing." He resumed his walk as Justin fell into step right behind him, determined to not be deterred in his endeavor; a few seconds later, the man stopped in front of a bank of elevators.

"He's up on the fourth floor," he told the artist as he held the elevator door open for him. Justin, noticing to his surprise that no one was getting on or off the elevator car, hesitated for a brief second before he took a deep breath and plunged inside; he didn't care _how_ little he knew about this somewhat cocky, arrogant, man – he HAD to see Brian's father and _nothing _would stop him.

As the two men silently stood inside the car as it slowly rose toward the fourth floor, Justin felt his hands getting clammy from nervous sweat and his heart begin to speed up; he was getting closer – closer to meeting Brian's father. He internally prayed that he would somehow find a way to gain entrance to the man's inner sanctum and, more importantly, persuade the man to meet the son he probably doesn't even know he has. Most critically of all, though, he prayed that the man would be receptive to meeting Brian and accepting him for the wonderful man he was. _Please – Brian DESERVES this. Please_, he silently pleaded. _HELP me._


	8. Meeting Brian's Father

As the two men waited for the elevator to slow down and stop on the fourth floor, Justin cast a surreptitious look at his fellow passenger. The man was meticulously groomed, from his stylish blond hair down to his polished black shoes. His navy blue suit was tailored to the man's exact specifications, leading Justin to feel it was probably custom made. In his rather well-worn, charcoal-colored suit and slightly scuffed shoes, Justin was dressed neatly enough, but he felt markedly out of place, like a football player dressed in his uniform at the Senior Prom; his apparel paled considerably next to this other man's and made him less than confident that he would be able to successfully see Senator O'Connor, especially after what the man had told him. Perhaps he _was_ wasting his time, but he was determined to stay there until either the senator agreed to see him or one of his security personnel _threw_ him out. He had no intention of voluntarily leaving until he was somehow given access to the man.

As the overhead chime sounded, Cassinelli nodded as the doors slid open. "This is it," he verified, as he stood by to allow Justin to depart. As he walked out into the hallway, whose floors were made of a gleaming hardwood, he noticed several doors on either side of the access way, leading off into both directions. He noticed each door looked identical with the exception of a four-digit code tastefully listed on a small gold-colored, metal plaque next to each one. At that moment, he was silently thankful that this man had volunteered to lead him to the senator's office; if he had tried to do this alone, he would have quickly gotten totally disoriented and lost.

"This way," he heard the other man say firmly, as he motioned toward the right. Cassinelli took off purposefully down the hallway as if he knew the path well; there was no hesitation in his steps whatsoever as he quickly trudged down the long hallway.

"You certainly seem to know your way around here," Justin observed somewhat breathlessly as he struggled to match the other's man stride; Cassinelli continued down the hallway in mute determination like a bloodhound searching out his prey.

Justin noticed the older man smiling a little, however, as he briefly turned his head to reply. "Yeah, you could say that," he said somewhat mysteriously.

Justin looked at him puzzled; it was almost like he was being told a joke but wasn't quite in on the punch line. "How much farther?" he asked the other man somewhat impatiently; it seemed like the hallway they were in went on forever; they were approaching a curve, and he couldn't see past that point at all.

He almost found himself running into the man when Cassinelli stopped unexpectedly and gave out a small laugh. "Good timing," he quipped. "We've reached our destination, as a matter of fact." Justin noticed they had stopped at a door that, unlike the others he had seen, wasn't numbered and appeared to be more of a supply door; a small, rectangular plaque next to this door read _Requisition Closet._

_Was the man nuts? _He watched curiously as Cassinelli quickly rapped twice on the door, then hesitated before knocking three more times. "Wha…." Justin began, before he heard a distinctive clicking sound. He watched as his escort stole a quick glance back at him with what Justin thought was a touch of smugness before, to the younger man's surprise, Cassinelli pushed on the door and it opened readily.

"Come on," he told Justin, who stood there in surprise. When the man had volunteered to lead him up to Senator O'Connor's office, he didn't think it would be in _this_ manner. Suddenly he felt like he was entering the office of an FBI agent rather than a state senator's office.

Nonetheless, as he followed the other man silently inside, he was astounded to discover that he and Cassinelli had apparently entered directly into what appeared to be a plushly-appointed, private office. There was a circular wall of windows facing out over downtown Harrisburg, with a sleek, glass and wood desk situated in front but no apparent secretary anywhere manning an outer cubicle nearby. Two overstuffed, maroon-colored leather chairs were perched facing where the desk sat near the windows; Justin could make out the high back of a similarly-styled chair behind the desk, but from the chair's position, he couldn't determine at first if it was occupied. A few seconds later, however, he discovered someone was _indeed_ sitting in the chair, because an oddly familiar-sounding voice suddenly boomed across the office space.

"NO, _damn_ _it!_ I was promised his support on this fucking bill, and he damn well better _follow through_ on his PROMISE!" a smooth-sounding, but aggravated baritone voice boomed out. "You tell Marksberry that he'd better not screw me over on this. I have a long memory and he will fucking _regret_ it….do I make myself _clear?_" Justin heard a smacking sound, apparently from the man hanging up his cell phone, just before he swung the chair around to face his visitors.

"Damn two-face assholes!" he bellowed over at the two men; Justin heard Cassinelli chuckle, but he was too busy standing there with his mouth gaping open to notice. Because when the man who had turned his chair around to greet them stood up, Justin immediately recognized him as the man he had hoped to see – the man who was, without any doubt, Brian's _father_.

The photo online and the black and white shot in the paper hadn't done the 50-something-year-old man justice; his hair was mainly auburn, just like his son's, with just a sprinkling of gray to enhance his elegance and masculinity. He wore an expensive-looking, tailored dark gray suit that molded to every angular part of his lean body, just like someone else's body Justin knew intimately, and his tie was partially loosened as it hung casually around his neck.

He apparently was interested in keeping fit, Justin noticed, just like Brian, because his stomach was flat and lean where his shirt was belted in; the man's light gray, silk shirt accentuated his flashing, steel-gray eyes, the only feature that did not seem to duplicate his partner's physical traits. Except for the different eye color and slight graying at the temples, however, the man could have definitely been Brian's twin. No _wonder _Justin had thought the voice had sounded familiar – even _that_ was practically identical. If he hadn't seen the man in person, he would have sworn it had been Brian on the phone.

He stood there fascinated, transfixed, as he watched the Senator eye him curiously for a few seconds before, to Justin's disbelief, the man smiled tenderly at his escort and spoke to him by first name. "Tony," the other man said smoothly; Justin noted with surprise that the man's tone had immediately changed from one of exasperation on the phone to an almost _tender_ refrain when he addressed the other man. "I could have sworn I just said goodbye to you," he told Cassinelli somewhat teasingly. Justin noticed with interest that the other man returned his smile easily; if he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he was intruding on some private moment between the two. Did Cassinelli know this man better than Justin _thought?_

"Yeah, I know, Fin…..But this young man here was looking for you and was feeling a little overwhelmed by the maze of offices up here, so I offered to play tour guide for him," he explained. He turned to look at Justin as he added, "This is Justin Taylor. He said he has something important to speak to you about. Mr. Taylor, meet the prestigious Senator and soon-to-be Governor, Fintan O'Connor," Cassinelli intoned with a grand, sweeping gesture of his hand. As Justin continued to stand there rather dumbly, his "escort" promptly plopped down in one of the office chairs near O'Connor's desk, making himself instantly at home as he casually hung his legs over the side of the chair's arm.

O'Connor snorted. "I told you to quit introducing me like that, Tony," the man warned him, but Justin noticed it sounded more like good-natured bantering rather than a vehement protest. There just wasn't the "bite" in his remark to make it sound like he really meant it. As Justin remained almost frozen to his spot, his mind finally registered the other man addressing him. "Well, Mr. Taylor, you'd better consider it lucky to have run into Tony here. Anyone else and you wouldn't have gotten past the front door, much less been escorted in the back way. You must have caught Tony on a good day." O'Connor wasn't quite sure why he was talking to a stranger this way; he made a mental note to resurrect his more formal approach to his _other _constituents before continuing more politely, "Since Tony _did_ manage to get you in here without my pit bull secretary seeing you, why don't you have a seat and tell me why you're here?"

Justin couldn't help continuing to stare at this man who almost seemed like a mirage; now that he had lucked into actually _seeing_ the man, he was flabbergasted. All this time, everyone had assumed that Brian's father was his asshole of a father, Jack Kinney, when the whole time _this_ man was actually his father. _NOW what does HE do? He couldn't just blurt it out_. But he didn't come all this way to let this opportunity slip by. "Uh….," he managed to barely eke out as he looked over somewhat awkwardly at Cassinelli, who showed absolutely no signs of leaving anytime soon. He really needed to talk to the Senator in private; it was going to be enough of a shock to him, no doubt, without learning about it in front of an audience. "I…..need to talk to you about a _personal_ matter….alone," Justin added nervously, looking over meaningfully at the other man who showed no signs of leaving; on the contrary, Cassinelli was peering over at him with strong interest now.

"Son," the senator began in a rather patronizingly tone of voice, his tone becoming more serious and businesslike now. "I have a very busy schedule…..somehow you managed to twist Tony's arm into letting you into my private office, but I really don't have any extra time to spare. So if you'll leave your name and number with my secretary outside, Regina will make sure you get on my calendar as soon as possible." As he stood there, Justin noted with alarm that the Senator was rising from his chair, apparently in a silent indication he was being dismissed.

The possibility of their conversation ending before it even began suddenly instilled Justin with a sense of boldness as he heard his voice rising, "No, Senator….you don't understand how _urgent _this is." He glanced over again at Cassinelli. _What was it going to take to get this man to LEAVE so he and Brian's father could speak in private?_ "I'm sorry…..but I won't leave until I have a chance to talk to alone. You'll understand shortly why I need to do that….Please, just give me five minutes and I'll explain," he added somewhat pleadingly, his voice now taking on an urgent quality in hopes the man would somehow understand the vital nature of his request.

O'Connor stood there, silently gauging the young blond standing there facing him and showing no signs of leaving; indeed, his face was full of determination at the moment, leaving no doubt that he intended to stay put until he had his say. He certainly didn't _look_ dangerous or crazy, like some of his constituents sometimes seemed to be; just what was so vital that this young man was willing to stand up to him and possibly risk being thrown out? He couldn certainly force the issue if he had to, but there was something in the blond's face that made him hesitate to do that. He sighed; he supposed he could at least hear the man out briefly; in fact, he was actually beginning to get rather curious as to what exactly this determined young man needed to tell him.

"I'll right, Mr. Taylor," he finally said at last. "Have a seat. I'll hear you out – but just for a few minutes." He glanced at the expensive Rolex watch on his left arm. "I'm already running late for a vote downstairs. You'll have to make this short, Son." O'Connor glanced over at Cassinelli. "Would you mind waiting out in the lobby, Tony?" he asked the other man softly.

"You sure, Fin?" he asked the other man almost protectively as he glanced over a little warily at Justin.

O'Connor walked a few steps toward his desk and perched himself on a corner of the glass and wooden structure, his long legs swinging slightly as he sat. Justin couldn't help doing a double take at that action; it reminded him so much of the same type of pose Brian would take as he casually sat on his _own_ desk. He almost had to smile as he thought of all the similarities between the two already.

"I'm sure, Tony," the senator assured him, nodding. "I'll only be a minute, okay? Go tell Regina I'll be out shortly for the vote in case anyone gets antsy in the meantime." Cassinelli nodded finally before he swung his legs back over his chair and rose to leave. The man took one more glance back at the two remaining men before he quietly opened another door and walked out, closely it softly behind him.

Alone finally, the Senator peered over curiously at the resolute stranger sitting nearby. "So, Mr. Taylor, what is so important that you had to speak to me right away?" He crossed his arms across his chest, invoking another startling pose that was so reminiscent of Brian in Justin's eyes as the blond stared at him in amazement. It was a few seconds before Justin could find his voice again to speak. "It's about this," he said softly, as he pulled out the photo album first and opened up the book, leafing through a few pages before he came to a picture he was seeking. Perhaps this was the way to start...

The photo was one of Brian and Michael taken when they were teenagers, not too much younger than when his father had met Lydia Blackwell in high school. The two men, boys back then, had their arms around each in comradeship, the picture apparently taken outdoors in someone's backyard around summertime; there were lush, green trees in the background and what appeared to be patio furniture nearby. Justin had first seen a copy of the picture hanging on a bulletin board in Michael's bedroom several years ago, and had managed to persuade Debbie to let him borrow it recently to have a copy made.

He gently tugged the photo out of its plastic sleeve and held it out to Brian's father to take. He noticed the older man frown slightly as he took the photo and studied it closely for several seconds. "Where did you _get_ this?" he asked, puzzled. "I don't remember ever having this picture taken. And I have no idea who the other guy is."

Justin smiled, not surprised by the other man's mistake. _Just wait until you find out….._He wasn't sure if this was the best way to convey the information he was about to give this man, but he couldn't for the life of him think of any other way to soften the blow. "Actually…it's not a picture of _you_, Senator. It's a picture of someone I know…..His name is Brian Kinney."

The man frowned as he continued to stare, mesmerized, at the photo in front of him; his body had gone still now as silence permeated the room. _How could this BE? _He finally looked up to meet Justin's gaze. "I…..don't understand," he finally said helplessly. "It looks just like ME when I was younger. Who IS this man?"

Justin smirked a little. "Yeah…..It _does_." _Here goes_. "He's…..my partner; my _fiancé_, in fact. Since they've finally approved gay marriages in West Virginia, we're getting married in three weeks at our residence there. Brian….was adopted when he was a newborn," he said softly. "I just found out recently that he's actually the biological son of someone you used to know…..Lydia Blackwell."

Justin watched intently as the man's entire body language changed from a self-assured, polite, formal business man to someone who looked like he had just been hit in the gut. "My God….." he replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he shook his head slightly in disbelief; as he closed his eyes, a flood of memories came rushing back from what seemed like such a long time ago. "_Lydia_…I don't _believe_ it. Oh, my God," he murmured incredulously. He opened his eyes to stare down once again at the somewhat faded photo in his now shaking hands. _Lydia's SON? MY son?_ _Could there be any question about it? _

He couldn't take his eyes off the picture – it could have been him several years ago – for all intents and purposes, it WAS him. There could be no possible mistake as to whose son this man was, none at all…..

"Lydia...…I didn't know…..I swear. _When?"_ So many questions he had….the fact that somehow he had a son was overwhelming in its revelation. He thought back to when he had first met Lydia. He was absolutely sure they had been together only once without protection….was it possible….?

"July of 1972," Justin answered him. "When I found a certificate that indicated Brian was apparently adopted, I hired a private investigator who determined who the mother was. I recently met with her parents who filled me in on some of the details regarding Brian's birth. They told me that you and Lydia met in high school and had a…._relationship_ during your sophomore year. They also told me that when their daughter found out she was pregnant, she moved in with an aunt in Pittsburgh until after the baby was born. By the time she came back to Johnstown, you had apparently moved." Justin peered over at Brian's father intently; the man was obviously in total shock over this astounding turn of events and apparently had no idea he even had a son – much what Justin had been suspecting all along.

He felt he had no choice, though, but to tell the senator one more piece of shocking information. The man needed to know it _all. _"I...hate to tell you this, Senator. But I found out that Brian's mother, Lydia..._died_ about 10 years ago in an auto accident. Her parents confirmed that for me recently. I'm sorry," he told the other man softly.

O'Connor was stunned into speechlessness; he had always wondered what had happened to the vivacious, auburn-haired girl with the infectious laugh that he fallen deeply in love with – at least, as deeply in love as a 17-year-old boy in the throes of teenage angst _could _be. Now, not only did he have a child, but the girl he had been so enamored with - and who had, unbeknownst to him, given birth to his son - was forever gone. _Why, Lydia - why didn't you TELL me? All this time...all this fucking time..._

"I….._can't_ believe it," he murmured to himself as much as to his visitor. "I…I never knew," he added, shaking his head in disbelief as he continued to stare at the photo in his hands. If he hadn't known it was someone else, he would have sworn on his grave that it was a picture of _him_ when he was younger. He could certainly insist that a paternity test be done to prove it, but what would be the _use_? There was no doubt whom this man's father could be after looking at this photo – _him_. As he considered the astounding possibility – or _probability_ – that he had a son, the OTHER part of what his visitor had told him began to sink in as well.

He looked over at Justin, who was quietly studying HIM. "_Partner_?" he asked softly. "Did you say that Brian was your _partner_? You're getting _married?_"

Justin met his curious gaze evenly; he wasn't ashamed of his and Brian's relationship OR their love; it meant a great deal to Justin if this man would accept Brian, but he wasn't about to shrink from the truth. Either this man would be open enough to welcome his newly-discovered son into his life completely, or he could just go on without him. The choice was up to him, but THIS MAN would be the one with the most to lose.

"Yes," he said firmly and clearly, nodding his head in confirmation. "To _both_ questions." He paused briefly before explaining, "Your reunion with him was going to be part of my wedding present to him…that is, if you were willing to meet him and accept him for who he _is_. Brian doesn't even know I'm doing this yet," Justin admitted.

As O'Connor pondered that statement, and just how much to divulge to this relative stranger, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a short rap on the closed, inter-chamber door. A middle-aged, petite brunet peered her bespectacled head in the door and advised the senator, "You're wanted on the floor, Senator. Five minutes ago," she added rather sternly, just like a mother would scold her wayward child.

Justin could imagine an internal war going on inside the other man's head as he looked over at him; no doubt after all this information, his head was virtually spinning from the startling revelation of his news. He looked extremely apologetic as he scooted off the edge of the desk and told Justin, "I really hate to do this, Mr. Taylor, but I _have_ to be there for this vote – it's on a bill I co-sponsored and I can't miss it. I _really_ need to continue this conversation, though…..I _want_ to. There's so much I need to know. Can you wait for me? I should be back in about 30 minutes or so. You're welcome to wait here in my office until I get back."

Justin noticed the woman's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at her boss' invitation; apparently, being invited to stay in the senator's private office while he was away was not a common occurrence. He watched as the senator nodded once to his assistant to signify that he, indeed, was giving Justin the authority to wait for him here.

"I'll wait for you," Justin confirmed to the other man's relief. After all, Justin had just finally _met_ the man; he had no intention of going _anywhere_ until they could talk further. He hadn't gotten an answer yet as to how receptive the man was to meeting Brian and getting to know him better; he wasn't ABOUT to leave now.

Senator O'Connor nodded. "Good." As he walked quickly toward his inter-office door, he stopped briefly to speak to his assistant. "Regina, make sure Mr. Taylor is comfortable and get him whatever he needs until I get back."

Justin shook his head. "I'm fine…..I'll wait here until you get back, then."

As the assistant acknowledged the senator's instructions with a nod and returned to the outer office, O'Connor turned to Justin before leaving and advised him, "Please – have a seat on the couch, then, and help yourself to anything you want at the bar. I'll be back as soon as I can." He was about to leave through the doorway before he added one more thing. "I…..want to see all the photos you have of my…._son_." He shook his head slightly, as if still in disbelief, before he hurriedly turned and walked out.

* * *

Tony glanced up from the lobby's settee as Fin came rushing through the outer office. By the look on the other man's face, Tony could immediately sense something dramatic had happened; the brunet's face was pale and as he took a deep breath, he jerked his head sideways in a mute commmand for Tony to follow him. As Tony nodded at Regina in departure, he rushed out into the hallway after Fin.

"What _happened_?" he asked somewhat breathlessly; the senator was rushing down the hallway toward the elevator so quickly, he was finding it hard to keep up. There had to be more going on than just the man's desire to reach the senate floor before the vote on his much-ballyhooed state economics bill took place; he _knew _that look.

As Tony rushed into the elevator with the Senator, Fin looked over at him with an expression of disbelief on his face. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts before saying to the blond, "You're not going to _fucking _believe this, Tony…..That man you escorted up to see me? Justin Taylor?"

As Tony patiently but curiously waited for the brunet to continue, Fin reached over to hand him what appeared to be a photograph, the same one that Justin had elected to give him when he had delivered his bombshell news to him. Tony chuckled as he took the proffered photo and looked at the two men appearing in it. "Who's _that_, Fin? A prior boyfriend?" he asked amusingly. "You actually DID have all brown hair back in your carefree days, huh?"

He noticed, however, that Fin wasn't smiling at his attempt at levity. "_Wrong_," he said solemnly. "I mean, I DID have all brown hair, but that's NOT me," he told the blond.

"Sure it is," Tony countered. "Although your hair was longer back then – when was this _taken_? You were a _stud _even back then, old man," he teased him.

As the car continued slowly down to the main floor, Fin knew he had precious little time to explain to the other man just what was going on. "Listen to me, _damn it_! Are you _listening_ to me? It ISN'T ME. It's MY SON, Tony….my goddamn _SON_. Justin Taylor is apparently my son's PARTNER, as in FIANCÉ. HE'S the one who brought ME the picture."

Tony stared at him, open-mouthed. "Your _SON? _How is that _possible?_" he asked, flabbergasted; he would have thought that Fin was teasing him, but he could tell by the look on his face that he was deadly serious.

"Come on, Tony! You _know_ about Lydia! I told you about her." Fin brushed some of his hair back from his forehead nervously. "We were only together without protection _one fucking time_. ONE TIME. Shit – I can't _believe this!_"

"A _son_," Tony repeated dumbly; this was so unreal. He knew that Fin had always regretted never having a child, especially a son, and now _this_. "This is _incredible_, Fin," he said, reaching over to place his free hand on the other man's arm. "It's what you've _always_ wanted," he reminded him, before he briefly squeezed the other man's wrist and let go.

Fin met his gaze with an almost painful look. "I know, I know...but didn't you listen to what I just _said_? I said Justin Taylor is my son's _PARTNER. _His _fiancé_. You know what _that_ means…..Shit," he muttered again, as he began to pace slightly back and forth in agitation. "I can't _believe this." Of all the irony….._

Tony snorted softly. "What – that you have a _son….._or that both you and he apparently have a thing for _hot blonds with big, blue eyes_?" he scolded him impertinently; as he watched his lover continue to pace, the other man finally stopped his back and forth motion to meet the blond's gaze and smile ruefully.

"You have a very high opinion of yourself, don't you, Mr. Cassinelli?" he said tenderly, as he reached over to pull the other man quickly into his arms and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before releasing him.

"Well, I know YOU have a high opinion of me, _Senator_," he retorted, twisting his mouth in a knowing smile.

Fin sighed in frustration. "What the _hell_ am I going to _do_, Tony? It's been hard enough for US to sneak around like we don't really know each other all that well….what's going to happen if the press – and the public – find out I have a _gay son_? This is bad, Tony…_really bad_."

Tony looked at him with a piercing look. "Fin, maybe this is Fate's way of telling you something…..maybe it's time you come clean on _everything_." Tony had been cautioning his lover for years now that their true relationship was bound to catch up with them at some point or another. "Would it be so awful to actually tell the _truth_? Apparently your _SON'S _partner doesn't have a problem admitting their relationship to you, and he doesn't know _anything _ABOUT us. Can't we afford him the _same respect_?"

As the elevator began to slow down for their imminent departure on the main lobby floor, Fin turned to look at his lover. "You know the answer to that question, Tony," he told his lover softly. "We've already discussed this _before_. Now is not the right time, and you know that."

Tony opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it and backed away from the other man as the elevator stopped and the signal chime sounded. As the doors opened up, Fin took one last, apologetic quick look over his shoulder at his troubled lover and rushed out alone as if they didn't even know each other.

As Tony exited the elevator, he watched his partner of ten years hurry down the hallway toward the senate chamber, his lover's words echoing in his mind….."_Now is not the right time, and you KNOW that." _

_WHEN, Fin? When exactly will it BE the "right time?"_ Tony sighed heavily as he stood there, alone in contemplative thought. What should he _do?_ He was dying to talk to his lover's son's partner, and find out more about Fin's son. God, the man looked exactly like Fin. But dare he take that action without Fin's knowledge and approval? And just how much had Fin told the other man about _them_? Did Justin Taylor even _realize_ that his fiancé's father was _also_ gay? After all, the man had managed to father a son; that would make one logically assume that he was straight. Just how much did the other man _know_ about Fin? They didn't have much of a chance to talk before his lover was called away to the senate floor, so chances are, especially with Fin's great reluctance to reveal their relationship, the younger man didn't have any idea. Was it his place, then, to set him "straight?" He grimaced at his odd choice of words as he stood there undecided as to what to do.

He and Fin had had this type of discussion for years now, ever since they had met shortly after his lover had successfully run for the senate. All this time, they had somehow miraculously managed to keep their true relationship a secret through a series of luck and skilled subterfuge. If it had been left up to Tony, however, they would have openly revealed their true relationship a long time ago, proudly and without any hint of regret. But Tony was merely a corporate attorney, albeit a very good one. HE didn't have the same issues involved that his partner did, and the stakes weren't _nearly_ as high for him. After all, HE wasn't the one thinking of running for governor.

The two of them had fought fiercely over this issue – Tony had always thought that if people couldn't accept Fin as governor based strictly on his sexual orientation, then they didn't _deserve_ to be guided by his extremely capable leadership. No one had had any problems voting him in as their senator over the past 10 years; in fact, he had racked up the highest majority of votes for any senator in the history of Pennsylvania. Yes, his partner was quite popular and highly thought of as one of Pennsylvania's senators; would it really make all that much difference if Fin simply came out and admitted who – and _what _- he _really was?_ Lies had a way of coming back to bite you in the ass – didn't Fin _realize_ that?

Despite Tony's adamant feeling that it was a bad idea, his partner had tenaciously refused to agree with him, reassuring him that he could still strongly support gay rights as governor without admitting that he was actually gay himself. So even though Tony vehemently disagreed with his partner's position, he reluctantly went along with his plan because of his strong love for him and his desire for his partner to succeed at obtaining his most-desired political goal – to be Pennsylvania's next governor.

Now, as he stood there watching other senators and aides rushing by toward the senate chamber, he never felt so alone in his life. His partner not only was apparently going to refuse to publicly admit to anyone that he was gay, but now, apparently, even if the man agreed to meet his son, he was going to withhold the information from him as well. He shook his head; that was _not _a good way at all to begin a relationship with a son you didn't even know you had. _Fin…..when it is going to STOP? Only after someone else gets hurt?_

He finally took a deep breath as he walked over to a nearby wooden bench. His partner would have to walk back this way to return to the elevators, and he would be waiting for him, hoping that he could not only get another chance to speak to him alone, but more importantly, hoping he would get a chance to talk some _sense_ into his stubborn, noble, but totally _misguided_, partner.


	9. Courage versus Convention

_Pennsylvania State House – Harrisburg_

Tony continued to sit anxiously on the hard, wooden bench located just outside the senate chamber; his hands resting on his knees, he rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation as he thought about the conversation he had just had with his lover. _How did everything get SO fucked up? And maybe even more importantly, when did he actually think it would be a good idea to keep their relationship a secret?_

Initially, his partner had told him he needed to maintain anonymity regarding their true relationship due to his newly-acquired seat in the Senate; ten years ago, being gay, even in a monogamous arrangement, was seen as perverse by a majority of the mainly-conservative public in the state; Fin had somehow persuaded him at the time that if he were to openly divulge their relationship, it would most assuredly destroy any chance he had of being reelected. Then, once he had firmly planted his footprints indelibly on the Senate floor, and won the admiration and respect of both Republican and Democratic colleagues state-wide, Fin had _then_ talked him into continuing to keep their love a secret because he told him it would undoubtedly fuck up any chance he had of becoming governor. _When was it going to END, Fin? WHEN?_ He was beginning to doubt if there would EVER be an _end _to it now.

He looked up from his distressed thoughts as he heard the heavy, oak doors being opened nearby, signaling the voting in the senate chamber had apparently ended. He watched closely as several people slowly filtered out of the cavernous room until he finally spied the man he had been waiting for. As Fin walked toward him, he noticed to his consternation that he wasn't alone; he really hadn't _expected_ him to be, though. With his partner's prestige as the leading Democrat in the senate, as well as the rumored, impending run he was contemplating for the Governor's position, the man seldom could travel anywhere without either the media or fellow colleagues grouping around him like a school of tuna.

The man, of course, didn't even acknowledge him as he passed right by him. Sighing at the typical treatment but not any happier about it than he _ever _was, he slowly rose to his feet and resolutely took off in the opposite direction toward the service elevators. _Well, TWO can play that game, Buddy,_ he thought determinedly. With his partner's entourage trailing close at his partner's feet, Tony had no doubt he could reach Fin's private office quicker than HE could. He would definitely be waiting for him when he got there; he had just decided Justin Taylor's arrival was quite serendipitous, because it was time to have it out – he was finally _tired_ of it.

* * *

Justin stood at a large, cherry wood bookcase in Senator O'Connor's office, staring with interest at a number of first-edition copies of classic works by well-known authors. The books had to have been quite expensive to collect, but at the moment he was actually much more interested in the photos and certificates that were tastefully grouped around them. There were several photos of the Senator with well-known politicians – he immediately recognized the current Governor of Pennsylvania and even the President and Vice-President of the United States in one large color photo, obviously taken in the Oval Office. He noted with mild surprise that the President seemed quite chummy with Brian's father, as he had his arm draped around the Senator's shoulders and was smiling broadly into the camera with him.

There were also photos of Senator O'Connor showing him on a golf course, putter in hand, with a couple of well-known television actors, as well as a couple of other shots, apparently taken in a restaurant setting, where the Senator was sitting in front of his dinner next to two easily-recognizable, Grammy award-winning rhythm and blues singers.

The framed certificates clearly indicated, also, that the man was active in several worthwhile, diverse charitable causes, bearing witness to the same thing Justin had determined while conducting internet research on the man last night; there were certificates of appreciation from causes ranging from international children's aid to protection of the Allegheny River to support of the Armed Services. Clearly, the man had a wide-ranging scope of influence, and there was certainly no doubt that the Senator was a well-known and powerful figure.

What Justin couldn't quite figure out, however, was what the man's _personal life _was like. He had read he wasn't married and did not have any children; but did he have any relatives _at all_, though? Any parents still alive, any cousins or siblings, or any nieces and nephews? If he did, Brian DID, too, and he felt sure Brian would love to get to know them, at least if they weren't all intolerant homophobes. And what about the man _himself_? And what about this Tony person? The two of them certainly seemed to know each other well enough – the question was, _how well? _Justin had felt that familiar suspicion he normally got when he thought another man was gay; Tony for whatever reason had seemed to broadcast that possibility loud and clear when he had first met him downstairs in the lobby. And he certainly had no problem gaining access to the Senator's private office. Just what did it all _mean?_

Justin shook his head in confusion – the only result so far from his visit with Fintan O'Connor had been even _more _questions. Justin let out a shaky breath as he sat back down in a nearby chair to think. He couldn't quite decide what the senator's motives were, but he _WAS_ somewhat encouraged by the other man's wish to see other photographs of Brian. He definitely saw that as a good sign. At least the man wasn't rejecting Brian outright. Could it mean that this man might actually be willing to get to _know _him? That would definitely be the most wonderful part of his surprise gift to Brian. His maternal grandparents' willingness to meet him – and accept him for who he _was_ – was definitely a welcome gift, but the ultimate prize would be for Brian to meet his FATHER; that is, if the man was willing to meet Brian and welcome him unconditionally into his life. THAT was the crux of the situation, the vital part of the puzzle that Justin did not yet know. Hopefully, if the man returned soon, he would be able to obtain an answer.

He jumped a little then as he heard a firm rapping on the "Supply Requisition Door." He waited a few seconds to see if the Senator's assistant in the outer office would come in and open it, but when that didn't happen, the knocking sounded again, only this time it was even MORE persistent. He was surprised to hear someone calling out his name, but after a few seconds he realized he _knew_ that voice.

Making a spontaneous decision that it would be okay to allow him access, Justin rose from his chair and walked over the door to open it.

"I was _hoping_ you'd still be here and would open that for me," Tony told him in relief as he rushed in. "If I had to wait for Fin to get back, I wouldn't have gotten in _first_." As Justin peered back at him in puzzlement, he elaborated. "I need to speak with you before he gets back," he explained. "He's on his way – he's out of the chamber – but he's got a virtual mob crowded around him, so with the elevators _we've_ got, it's going to take him a while to make his way back up here."

Justin stood there, somewhat transfixed and uncertain as to what to do, as Tony purposefully walked over to the nearby bar and helped himself to a shot of Grey Goose. Downing it in one gulp, he placed the squat glass back on the sleek, contemporary-looking bar and turned to face the younger man. "Maybe we'd better sit down, Mr. Taylor. You and I need to talk." He motioned for Justin to move over to the couch.

Justin bit his lip in hesitation, not sure if he should follow this man's orders and not sure if he could even _trust_ the man. After a moment, however, he figured he ought to be relatively safe in a Senator's private office – after all, the man _had_ to have security nearby, he reasoned – before he decided to follow the other man's request and walk over to the couch to take a seat.

Cassinelli quickly followed him to take his place at the opposite end. As they stood there quietly for a moment, the older man collected his thoughts before he finally began to speak. "I'm not quite sure where to begin," he admitted. "But it seems you and I have a lot in _common_."

Justin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "We _do_?" he asked softly. At the moment, he couldn't quite figure out where their conversation was leading.

Cassinelli nodded as he unexpectedly grinned a little lopsidedly. "Yeah….it seems we both like the dark, brooding, pig-headed type," he quipped. "At least – that is, if your Brian is like his _father_."

Justin narrowed his eyes in scrutiny of the other man. Was he saying what he _thought_ he was saying? He had his suspicions – even _more so now_ – but he had to make absolutely sure he wasn't reading something into that statement that wasn't there. "Just what exactly are you _saying_, Mr. Cassinelli?" he asked the other man quietly, fixing him with a penetrating gaze. He was really getting tired of playing games with these two men. His head was practically spinning as he began to feel the first pangs of a distinct tension headache while he tried to read the other man's mind.

Cassinelli was about to confirm Justin's suspicions but was unfortunately interrupted by the loud but familiar voice of his partner drifting in from the other side of his private office's door. "I _said_ you will find out all about it tomorrow at the news conference," O'Connor stated clearly with just a hint of annoyance in his voice. "That's all I'm going to say about it," he added, just before the door was flung open and O'Connor rushed inside, a bank of reporters and fellow politicians prevented from going any further by apparently the man's security personnel, who quickly closed the door which blessfully hid the two men sitting on the couch in an obscured side of the room.

The man stopped, a little startled, as he realized that Justin wasn't alone in his office. His surprise, however, quickly turned to anger and aggravation as he became fearful about just what his partner had managed to discuss with his son's fiancé. "Tony…..How did you get up here so fast?" he demanded, although he already knew the likely answer. _Son of a bitch_, he thought in annoyance, fuming in silence.

"You _know_ the answer to that, Fin," Tony told his partner somewhat testily. "I came up in the service elevator like I _normally_ do when I need to get your attention. You were hanging out with your groupies as usual, so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get back up here before _you _did," he said, shrugging as if it were the most simple answer in the world. In a way, it _was. _Heaven knows he had done this numerous times before.

Since rumors had started floating around approximately six months ago about the possibility of his partner running for the Governor's mansion, it had become even _more critical_ for them not to be seen together; Cassinelli had resorted to taking the service elevator for some time now, just to be able to see his partner alone. That didn't mean he _liked _it; in fact, it made him feel dirty somehow and he was quickly becoming extremely agitated just thinking about it. But to keep his partner happy, he had reluctantly agreed to continue with their cat-and-mouse game. Now, though, in light of the young man sitting next to him and the courage he was displaying, he realized just how weary he was of following their _rules_.

As O'Connor locked the door firmly between his private office and the lobby, he turned, perturbed, to face his feisty, stubborn partner. "How many times do I have to _tell _you NOT to keep flitting in and out by the back door? One of these days, the press is going to catch on that you're not going in there to pick up another broom and dustpan and figure out where the door _really _goes. THEN what will I do?" he said, his hands on his hips in consternation.

Justin watched mutely but with fascinated interest as Cassinelli stood up defiantly to face the other man and retort, "Maybe you'd actually have to _tell the TRUTH_ then, wouldn't you? That would be just awful, wouldn't it?"

Fin huffed out an angry breath. "Just what did you _tell _him, Tony?" he asked, crossing his hands over his chest angrily as he glanced over at Justin; had his lover already told the young man exactly what their relationship _was_? He didn't know if Tony would believe him, but he was actually going to tell him _himself_ once he got back up to his office. Had his lover already divulged that information _already_? "You've _already_ TOLD him, haven't you?" he accused his lover, his voice rising in resentment. If anyone was going to tell his son's fiancé about his sexual preference, it should have been HIM.

Tony shook his head, furious now, as he totally ignored Justin for the time being to concentrate on his lover's untrue accusations. To be honest, he WAS about to tell Justin the whole truth, but his partner had interrupted him. Not sure if he should really feel righteously indignant or not, nevertheless he was upset and extremely tired of playing this stupid game with his partner. He wasn't about to keep participating any longer, _whatever_ the outcome would be. _So be it, Fin,_ he thought with determination – _I'm tired of living this LIE._

"No, _Senator_," he snapped icily, his blue eyes flashing. "For your information, I did NOT tell Mr. Taylor about you and me. But if you _don't right NOW," _he added, "I WILL." He stood there, glaring at the brunet with fury, as he dared him to continue lying. "Well?" he said brusquely. "Are YOU going to tell him or will _I_?" He left no doubt that it was going to be one or the other.

Fin stared at him, not backing down, as the two continued to almost bore holes into each other's eyes. Finally, Fin sighed heavily and shook his head, the strong anger slowly evaporating. He _loved _Tony and hated to fight with him, and besides, the man was _right_. The fiancé of the son he didn't even know he _had _until about an hour ago had a right to know what was going on. That didn't mean everyone _else_ did, but if he wanted Mr. Taylor to be upfront and honest with him about his son, the man deserved the same respect in return.

"All right, Tony," he said softly now. "Sit your high horse down and I'll explain it to him." He looked over apologetically at Justin now, who had remained silent through their entire emotional discourse. He smirked self-deprecatingly as he added, "A typical day in the life of Senator Fin O'Connor," before he rolled his eyes at Cassinelli as he turned to walk over to his desk and perch once again on the front corner to face both of his visitors.

"How much have you _told _him, Tony?" he asked evenly now, all bluster now gone out of him.

Tony sat back down next to Justin on the couch. "I _told_ you, Fin….I didn't get a chance to tell him _anything _yet – except we both seemed to have a thing for the dark, brooding, pig-headed types – just like you and your son go for the hot blondes with the big, blue eyes."

Justin's eyes widened at that unambiguous statement as he noticed the Senator not trying to refute it. His suspicions, then, were apparently right on target, but he had to make absolutely sure. "You're _gay,"_ he said, his comment coming out as a statement, not a question. "The two of you are _partners,_ aren't you?" he added softly.

Fin let out a large sigh as he looked over at his bullheaded partner that he loved more and more as each year went by, despite the man's predilection to charge full-throttle ahead without thinking things through completely about the consequences. There was no point in denying their relationship anymore, at least in private, as he looked over at the two men who he noticed, for the first time, DID look very similar. _I guess Tony's right AFTER all_, he thought ruefully. "Yes," he finally admitted softly as he nodded. "To _both_ questions."

Justin sat there in silence. He couldn't quite say he was stunned, because he had begun to suspect the truth already. But to hear Brian's father actually _say_ it, though, made it irrefutable. He should be thrilled beyond belief over this lucky turn of events, but why was he feeling so _wary_, instead? Was it because the man staring back at him appeared to look so conflicted and unhappy? He had sounded so interested earlier in learning more about his son, and he had just admitted that he, also, was gay and even had a _partner_. So why did he feel so much dread inside right now?

Like a flash of lightning, he suddenly realized why the man looked so troubled. It wasn't because he was gay and Justin now knew it; it was because he apparently didn't want _anyone ELSE_ to know it. The sneaking around by his partner through the back door, the anger displayed toward the other man, and the man's persistent need to keep the press at bay….it all made perfect, awful sense for a man who was about to run for Governor and had secrets to hide – secrets that could hurt his political career.

He looked up at the older version of Brian with a penetrating stare of epiphany. "You don't want anyone else to _know_, do you? You're afraid if the press finds out you're – God forbid – _gay_," he said the last word with mock disdain, "they'll have a field day and the public backlash will prevent you from being elected Governor…..aren't you? That's what this is all about, isn't it?" he said, his voice involuntarily rising in accusation.

Tony harrumphed. "Like I said, Fin, you and your son seem to have a thing for hot blonds with big, blue eyes – hot blonds with _intelligence_, too, by the way," he teased, looking meaningfully over at Justin. Tony noticed to his annoyance, however, that his partner apparently wasn't finding any humor in his attempt to make light of their situation; he sat there, instead, looking stone-faced as he stared back at the blond in extreme irritation.

Out of impatience now, Tony stood up suddenly and whirled to face his partner, his hands on his hips and his eyes flashing with aggravation. "Come _ON, _Fin! Just tell him the fucking _truth_ – ALL of it! Any OTHER time you wouldn't have any _problem_ speaking!" he pointed out. "After all, that's what politicians are renowned for, aren't they?" _This was getting ridiculous and totally unnecessary_, he couldn't help thinking.

Tony finally got a strong reaction, only it wasn't the one he was hoping for as Fin launched himself off the corner of the desk, furious now. "Shut UP, Tony!" he snarled as he confronted his partner, his face red with rage; he stood so rigidly next to his lover that Tony could feel the man's rapid breaths of anger on his face as he continued. "This is NONE of your fucking _business! _This is MY son, not YOURS! Stay the hell OUT of it!" He pushed his right hand through his thick, tousled hair in vexation, trying to calm himself before things got anymore out of hand and he shoved his _partner_ instead.

Tony stood there in shock, his mouth falling open at Fin's extremely angry diatribe toward him. The two of them had always managed to survive the ups and downs of their relationship through working them out _together_; this, then, was totally _unlike_ his partner. Of course, they had never quite run into a situation like this one _before_, either.

"I'm YOUR partner, Fin!" he snapped in response, his voice coming out louder than he had intended and evoking a strong shushing noise from the Senator, who was no doubt concerned about their conversation being overheard out in the outer office. "So it IS my fucking business!" he retorted. "I am getting SO fucking tired of always having to sneak around, always having to look behind my back to make sure I'm not being followed, always having to be careful of what I say or DON'T say, and for _what, _Fin? So you can keep up this masquerade to save your political _face_? So you can always looks like the attractive, straight little carefree _bachelor_? Well, I'm _DONE _with it, Fin," Tony told him as he began to pace restlessly back in forth in front of the senator's massive desk. "I'm _done_ with hiding, I'm _done_ with pretending to be something I'm not, and if you don't come out with the truth – to _everyone_ - then I'm done with YOU, too!"

The two partners stood there for several seconds, both hands crossed over their chests in a silent stalemate, before finally Tony let out a ragged breath and walked over to the wall of windows behind the desk to peer out onto the back lawn of the state building; the leaves swirling furiously around in the parking lot because of the unusually windy day today seemed to mimic his tumbling emotions at the moment.

He truly loved Fin – he had for such a long time now – but he just couldn't do it anymore. He wanted a partner that he could openly share his dreams and passions with and proudly stand by his side during his triumphs as well as his failures. He wanted to be able to go out to dinner with him, hold his hand in the flickering candlelight, laugh with him, and cry with him out in the _open_. He didn't want to only be able to do those things in the privacy sanctity of their home. As it was right now, anyway, it seemed like he really never got to see much of his powerful partner anymore, anyway. And when he _did, _the man was so preoccupied with political maneuvering that his body was there but his mind - and his _heart_ - wasn't.

Justin didn't quite know what to say or do as he sat on the edge of O'Connor's expensive, leather couch absorbing the emotional outburst that had just occurred. He actually _agreed _with Cassinelli; if BRIAN had asked HIM to sneak around behind everyone's backs to avoid others learning of their true relationship, he didn't care _how_ much he loved him; it would hurt like hell, but he just wouldn't be able to do it, either. He had risked way too much before to get to the place he was now. But on the other hand, he had hoped so badly that he would be able to bring Brian and his real father together. Wasn't there any way to accomplish this? Or was he going to have to give up? He had come so far, and Brian deserved so much after what he had had to endure at the hands of his adoptive parents – surely there had to be a way out of this situation that would work for everyone.

He glanced up as he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye; as he looked up, he observed Brian's father slowly walking over to him before he sat down at the other end of the couch. Justin peered over at him curiously for a few seconds before the brunet sighed heavily, all anger and indignation gone. "I'm…_sorry_, Mr. Taylor."

"Justin," the blond corrected him softly. Somehow Brian's father calling him _Mr. Taylor_ made him feel so OLD.

The man nodded. "Justin," he repeated. Justin watched, captivated, as the man's lips curled under in a show of regret, just like someone _else_ he knew. "I'm sorry for my outburst," he told him, as he peered over at his partner, whose back was still facing away from him. Cassinelli hadn't said another word since he had sought refuge near the windows.

"I've waited so long to be in a position to run for Governor, and really be able to make a _difference _in the state – and that _includes _gay rights," he clarified firmly. "But I can only be in that position if I'm able to be _elected_. If everything is ended before it's even _begun_, I can't do _any_ of that. Surely you can understand that," he said reasonably.

Justin's heart sank at the other man's discouraging statement. He _did _understand – all too well. "Yes, I DO understand," he told the other man quietly. "I understand that you're apparently willing to give up establishing a father-son relationship with a wonderful man who, incidentally, has a wonderful s_on_, too."

As the brunet looked over at him in astonishment – and also TONY, who had now turned around to stare at them – Justin nodded as he verified to him, "YES – you're also a _grandfather_. And your grandson is a beautiful little boy who brings joy to everyone who knows him." He picked up the photo album he had carefully placed down on the nearby coffee table and quickly leafed through a few pages until he found the photo he was looking for – a 5 x 7 color portrait of Brian and his son, huge, beaming smiles on their faces as they sat on a large rock outcropping on the grounds of Britin, their arms around each other. Brian had purchased a digital camera with a zooms lens the day before for Justin's birthday last year (he had long ago given up on the pretense of never acknowledging it), and Justin had taken advantage of Gus visiting them that week from Canada to take several candid photos of them. This photo, which he had had enlarged at the local drug store, was one of his very favorites.

As Fin took the album from Justin to stare at the two brown-haired faces radiantly staring back at him – their physical features so like his own – his hands began to tremble. He had waited so long – so very long – to have a family; had yearned for it from the moment he had found Tony and had hoped to dream of hearing little, tiny footsteps running all over their house while he and his partner joyfully ran after them as their little voices squealed in delight the way that only little children _could_. After the hope for he and Tony being able to wed in an open, LEGAL commitment of their love, it was his most fervent wish. At least, his most fervent _personal_ wish. He bit his lip in tormented anguish as he continued to stare down at the two faces that looked so much like his own before he admitted, whispering, "I always _wanted a family_, you know."

Justin felt his eyes begin to water as he answered softly, "So did _Brian_." He cleared his throat to compose himself before he added, "He _has_ one…..NOW." _He has me and he has Gus – THAT will never change._ "But he always wanted _more_. He always wanted a mother and father that loved him and cherished him as a son _should _be." _How I wish my OWN father did_, came unbidden to his thoughts; he quickly dismissed that thought, however, as he thought of how lucky he was to have a mother that DID love and accept him just as he was.

As Fin looked closely to stare into the deep-blue, penetrating eyes of his son's fiancé, Justin told him, "Unfortunately, it's too late for Brian to meet his mother. But it's NOT too late to meet his FATHER. Brian's been through a lot growing up and even as an _adult_ – I won't go into all the horrible details," he told the other man, anticipating his question as Fin stared back at him curiously, the unspoken query clearly etched on his face. It really wasn't Justin's place to divulge all that terrible information, and besides, even now, he didn't quite know all of it _himself_. That would be up to _Brian_ to tell – that is, if he chose to and if this man chose to do the right thing by his son as well.

"But if you DO decide to meet him – and I HOPE you do – I don't think it's fair to pretend to him that you're something you're NOT. Brian is an open book regarding his sexuality, and he would expect nothing less from his gay _father_. The question is, though, Senator – are you willing _to DO_ that? Are you willing to be open about everything in return for an even greater _reward_?"

O'Connor almost reverently rubbed his fingers slowly across the plastic sleeve of the page holding the picture of his son and grandson as he continued to stare at the photo of something he had always thought would be forever out of his reach. Up until today, he thought his life was proceeding on a predictable track, heading toward his ultimate goal of becoming Pennsylvania's next governor. He and Tony would remain together, happy but out of the limelight, and he would be able to influence – and _quietly encourage_ – any legislative that he was passionate about, INCLUDING those favoring gay rights.

He was confident that he could continue to steer those interests properly while still maintaining the visage of a straight bachelor type while privately enjoying his life with the man he loved. Now _this_. He had worked for _years_ for the time to be right to run for Governor – how he could he simply drop his political dream NOW?

"Fin," he heard Tony say softly; he turned his head to stare up at his partner, who was still standing by the windows, his body leaning against a nearby beam. "He asked you a _question,_" he said quietly. _Yes, I KNOW, Tony_, he thought silently. _And I know what you want me to say..._

Fin breathed out a large sigh of frustration. He looked one more time at the photo, still undecided. Both had been such big dreams of his – a family and a burgeoning political career – and he knew which one he was most familiar with, and most comfortable with. _You're a d__amn coward, O'Connor_, he scolded himself...….

He closed his eyes briefly, steeling himself for what he had to do. He just couldn't _do _it; he just couldn't risk everything he had worked for – and the good he could do for so _many _– for the hope of establishing a relationship with a single person, no matter HOW important.

"I….I'm _sorry_, Justin," he finally whispered in torment. "Now is just not the right time. Maybe sometime in the future….." He suggested hopefully. He gently closed the photo album and placed it down on the glass coffee table, resting his hands on his knees and his head in his hands as he looked down at the floor in defeat.

He looked back up as he heard Justin sigh sadly in return. The blond stood up, looking down at Brian's father in extreme sadness and great disappointment, all hopes of a loving, welcome reunion between father and son torn to pieces, along with Justin's HEART.

"I'm _sorry_ too, Senator," he said stiffly. "More sorry than you'll ever _know._" He leaned down to retrieve the photo album and reach over to grab the art portfolio he had carried with him earlier today - a day that had started out so full of promise for the future.

He made a quick decision before he swung the strap up over his shoulder, leaning it against the back of the couch and pulling out his sketchpad. Brian's father watched, puzzled, as Justin leafed through several pages of the pad before he stopped at a particular drawing of Gus and Brian he had done of the two of them playing together at the park. Brian was pushing Gus on a wooden swing as the little boy squealed in joy, his little legs kicking furiously in an attempt to go higher and faster. Justin smiled tenderly at the memory that had produced the inspiration of the drawing before he slowly tore the sketch out and laid it down carefully, face up, on the coffee table, directly in front of Fin O'Connor's direct line of vision.

"Maybe this will remind you of what you're _losing_," he told Brian's father, his voice catching. "Or maybe what you never HAD." He quickly reached over for the portfolio and snapped it shut before swinging the strap deftly over his shoulder. Finally equipped with his portfolio and the photo album, held securely with curled fingers and cradled protectively against the side of his body, he glanced over at Tony, who had remained standing near the windows silently, witnessing the dramatic exchange taking place between his lover and the man who was the courageous, defiant, and proud fiancé of Fin's son. _How I wish I had what YOU have, Justin, _he mourned mutely.

Justin nodded politely at Tony before saying, "It was….._interesting_ meeting you, Tony. Thank you for trying at least." Tony nodded and smiled sadly as Justin turned to go. Just before he headed toward the outer door leading to the Senator's lobby area, Justin softly acknowledged Brian's father one last time, utterly discouraged that his goal of reuniting father and son was apparently not meant to be. "Goodbye, Senator," he said in farewell. "I hope you get what you're _looking_ for, although I doubt it will help you sleep at night." Fin didn't look up at the blond as Justin walked quietly over to the other door and opened it, shutting it softly behind him.

As an eerie stillness quickly invaded the room , Fin took a ragged breath and finally looked over at his partner, who was shaking his head in pain and regret - regret for what he didn't HAVE and probably never WOULD.

"My God, Tony…what have I _done_?" was the only question Fin could think to ask. Unfortunately, for once his partner didn't have an answer for him.


	10. One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward

Tony stood by the trio of windows for a few minutes longer, not sure quite what to do or say. Even though deep down he knew what his partner's decision was going to be regarding meeting his son, he was still profoundly disappointed. Perhaps in a way it was because it reflected on their _own_ relationship; if Fin was too afraid to reveal he had a gay son, much less was gay himself, what did that say about THEIR future? Had he been kidding himself all this time that one day, one _wonderful _day, they could have a _normal _relationship, despite the spotlight always being directed on his partner? He bit back his envy of Justin's relationship with his partner's son as he gazed over at Fin, who was still sitting on the couch, shoulders drooped dejectedly as he continued to study the black and white sketch that Justin had left for him.

Tony sighed softly as he slowly walked over to the other man, who didn't even look up as he approached. "Fin….," he began, his voice barely above a whisper; the pain was evident in his own voice as he spoke his partner's name. As he reached the couch, he quietly sat down next to the brunet and took his hand. He _hated _what Fin had just done, but he still loved the guy anyway; you couldn't just turn something like that off like a light switch.

Fin immediately grasped the blond's hand for support, squeezing it tightly as if it were a lifeline; in a way, it _was._ He looked down at the lifelike sketch of a man and a little boy who looked so strikingly like himself; a son and grandson he never even suspected he had until today. A son and grandson he had just refused to meet.

"Tony," he whispered back at his lover, his voice soaked in despair. "You know why I had to do what I did," he told the other man, trying desperately to gain reassurance that he had done the right thing. _After all, it was done for the most altruistic reasons, wasn't it? _He could help so many more people in the state, including gays, if he remained safely under the radar.

Tony picked up the sketch still lying on the coffee table and studied it; he assumed Justin must have been the artist, since he had the portfolio with him and seemed nonplussed about tearing it out of the sketchpad. _Whoever_ the artist was, he was phenomenal, because even without having seen them in person yet, the charcoal likeness of the boy and his father to Fin was uncanny; same nose, same face, same expressions, even the same body type – lean, muscled and toned. He shook his head, still partly in disbelief that his partner had been presented with one of his most heartfelt wishes and had _turned it DOWN. _

"Yeah," Tony said curtly. "I know _EXACTLY _why you did what you did, Fin. But I still don't AGREE with it; not at all." He gently placed the precious drawing back down on the coffee table before he rather abruptly pulled his hand away from his partner's and stood up to face the brunet, his eyes flashing with resolve. "You gave up one of your biggest dreams for the _possibility_ of fulfilling a political ambition. How does it _feel_, Fin?" he said reproachfully. "How does it feel to know you were handed a ready-made family on a fucking silver platter and you gave it BACK?"

"That's NOT fair, Tony, and you know it!" Fin snapped. "There's more on the line here than just a _political ambition_. If I'm elected governor, it would have an impact throughout the state, even for US. And, yes, even for my SON and my GRANDSON. Did you not notice that Justin and my son are being married in _West Virginia? _Why? Because they CAN'T get married HERE, that's why! If I'm elected governor, that's going to change. Hell, even _you and I_ can get married then. That's what you always wanted, isn't it?"

Tony had to snort ironically at that statement. "That's a _laugh_, Fin. Don't try and persuade me that you did the right thing by dangling THAT prize in front of me! Are you saying that if you're elected Governor, all of a sudden you would come out of the closet and get married to me? Come ON, Fin! I know better than that!" He had to look away as his eyes filled with tears – tears of longing and regret for one of the things he wanted so badly but he knew he could never had – not as long as the man he loved refused to openly acknowledge their own relationship. "If you're trying to suggest we could get married _secretly_ after you get it approved here and not tell anyone _else_, you can FORGET that idea," Tony said flatly. "There is NO WAY I would agree to that. It's either 100%, Fin, or NOTHING."

Fin sighed as he rubbed his hand through his hair in frustration and looked up almost pleadingly at his partner, the man he had been with now for almost ten years through good times and bad. "Tony….We've discussed this so many times before. I thought you understood and were willing to abide by my wishes for the greater good. I've been planning for this opportunity for several _years_ now. It's NOW or NEVER, Tony…Grayson's not running again and my name is being bandied about right and left as THE right candidate this time. I've finally gotten the backing of ALL the party leaders for a change. I'll never get this chance again – don't you _see_ that?"

Tony shook his head in resignation, his hands on his hips as he eyed the other man in agitation. "Who are you trying to _convince_ here, Fin – me or YOU? And, yeah, maybe you DID talk me into staying out of the spotlight before and acting like we were just _old college pals_ for the sake of your political career. But that was BEFORE we found out you have a son – a SON, Fin! And a GRANDSON, for God's sake! And it was ALSO before Justin Taylor showed up here and made me realize that I shouldn't have to settle for second best or continue to live a lie. We don't have _anything_ to be ashamed of, Fin! And listening to that young man call you out about for being a coward – a fucking COWARD – made me realize that that's exactly what I AM, too!"

"Tony….," Fin began helplessly; his thoughts were whirling sporadically in a multitude of emotions over the day's events. It had been shocking enough discovering he had a family, but now his own partner was turning against him. How did a day that seemed so full of political promise turn into such a fucking mess?

"Don't say it, Fin," Tony said, not giving his partner a chance to continue any further; he was SO tired of hearing the "logical" excuses for Fin doing what he did. He stared down at the man he deeply loved and thought he would be spending the rest of life with; the only problem was, if he DID, he was beginning to realize it would never be a life that would be out in the open, no matter WHAT Fin said. Not until the man realized that by living a lie, they weren't really _living_ at ALL.

"I think we could use some time apart," he decided, his voice sounding firm even though his heart was breaking at the prospect; in all the years they had been together, no matter HOW many times they had fought, they had never been apart for more than a day without at least seeing or talking to each other to settle things. And when they traveled on business, they could be worlds apart physically but just hearing the other's voice was always enough to keep them firmly grounded to each other. Now, that dream of a future together seemed to be irreparably shattered in light of the day's events.

Fin stood up , alarmed at his partner's statement, and placed a hand on the blond's upper arm in a slight sense of disbelief. "You don't _mean_ that, Tony," he implored. "Don't let this change what we have."

Tony shook his head sadly. "It already _has_," he told him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Fin reluctantly released his hold on his partner and sighed. "I still _love_ you, Tony," he countered softly. "That will _never _change."

Tony twisted his lips in irony. "I still _love _you, too, Fin," he replied. "But I just can't BE with you right now. I'll….go stay at the Ritz downtown for a while." Both men knew the place well; when they wanted to be discrete and travel some place where they could be together without fear of discovery, they always migrated toward the rather expensive hotel downtown for a secret weekend. The owner there was gay himself and excelled in protecting their secret trysts; the steps he took to preserve their identity and see that the press was kept at bay was invaluable to their sanity and appreciated enormously by both men. Tony thought ironically that they had felt more comfortable there recently than they did in their OWN home due to the press constantly milling about their residence at all hours of the day and night, hoping to be the first one to break the latest news on the influential senator's newest political meanderings.

_This can't be happening_, Fin thought increduously as he stared over at Tony, but it WAS. He was terrified of what the future held for them and couldn't imagine his life _without_ the other man. His personal needs warred greatly with his political ambition as he stood there, watching his partner possibly walking out of his life forever.

"Call me later?" Fin finally beseeched his partner almost desperately; he _still_ felt he was doing the right thing in order to help the largest amount of people who needed it, but on the other hand he almost couldn't bear the thought of not waking up tomorrow morning beside the man who had been his only partner for almost a decade now.

Tony considered the request for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yeah….I'll call you," he verified softly as he slowly began to walk toward the back door. "Just….don't expect anything, okay? We've got a lot to work out here, Fin. And I'm STILL not going to keep living a lie. You're going to have just figure out what's most important to you this time – your career or living a life with the man who loves you and the family who seems to urgently _need _you." Although, as Tony thought about the brave and proud young man who had been in Fin's office today, perhaps _FIN_ needed his family more than his SON did; something told him that Justin could fulfill the role of family in Brian Kinney's life just _fine_.

As Tony softly closed the requisition door leading outside into the hallway, Fin stood there helplessly in silence, his thoughts a mass of seemingly irreconcilable emotions. He leaned down once more to retrieve the meticulously-drawn sketch of his son and grandson, his eyes drinking in every minute detail of the work as his face clouded over in frustration. Suddenly, everything that he was about to lose caught up with him and, before he even realized what he was doing, he violently crumpled the drawing into a wrinkled mess and threw it into the nearby wastebasket; turning on his heel he slowly walked over almost as if in a trance and sat down at his desk just before the phone rang with yet another politician needing one more favor from the influential man. Right now, he actually _welcomed_ the intrusion; anything to dull the sharp, stinging pain he was currently feeling in his own heart.

_

* * *

_

Same Time – State Building Parking Lot

Justin sat behind the wheel of his car, fuming in frustrated irritation. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he _knew_ this would be the probable outcome as soon as he began to suspect Brian's father was gay. He understood the way politics worked, and the outside forces that always played a part in it. But how could anyone run for office on a platform that was built on one, big, fat, fucking _lie_? Even if O'Connor DID manage to keep his sexual orientation, as well as his son's, a secret until he was elected, eventually the reality would leak out somehow. What was the man going to do _then_ when all hell broke loose? How would he be able to fulfill so many promises he was espousing (or hoping for, at least) if no one _trusted _him? Didn't he REALIZE that? The man was obviously well-read and intelligent; Justin couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that fact yet.

The worst part of the whole thing was that he was going to _have_ to tell Brian; tell him that yes, he HAD found his real father, but NO, he wanted nothing to do with him. He winced as he thought of how much pain that was going to cause his fiancé. How utterly, unbelievingly _unjust_. He now knew without a doubt that Brian's supposed parents really WEREN'T his parents, but his real mother, who he had never had the chance to meet, was dead already; now, his real father might as WELL be, too. At least Brian's grandparents were eager to meet him; that would help to soften the blow somewhat. But it still was nowhere NEAR the positive outcome Justin had hoped for.

Thinking about the grandparents, he reached inside his jacket pocket to withdraw a small, white slip of notebook paper that had Sean and Kathy Blackwell's name and cell phone number on it. He gently fingered the piece of paper, weighing whether to call them and see if they could come out to Britin, perhaps as early as tomorrow, to see their grandson. Gus would be arriving at the end of the week, though, to spend some time with him and Brian before the wedding; he knew the Blackwells were dying to see not only their grandson, but their _great-grandson_ as well. Perhaps it would work out best, then, that they wait until Gus arrives next weekend so they could meet BOTH of them. At this point, Justin decided rather morosely, it wouldn't matter if they waited a little while, since Brian's father wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with him.

_Damn_, he thought sadly; to have come so far and still not be able to give Brian what he was so desperately hoping to give him seemed unfathomable. Of course, less than a month ago he didn't even know that Brian WAS adopted. But now that he _did_, he couldn't believe his partner's father was turning his back on such a precious gift.

He could at least unite Brian with his grandparents, though. Reaching into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone, he flipped it open and realized he had been required to turn it off earlier before entering the capital building due to security regulations. As he pressed the button to turn it on, he noticed the "message waiting" icon. Navigating through the menu to "missed calls," he noticed immediately who the caller had been – _Brian_. And not only once, in the few hours Justin had been gone, the man had called him THREE times. _Damn, impatient man_, Justin thought fondly; he was a little concerned, though, about whether or not Brian would think it unusual that he hadn't answered his phone for several hours.

Normally he and Brian spoke at least once a day, if not more, so it wasn't so unusual for him to be calling. He had a feeling, though, that his fiancé was still probably getting antsy about figuring out why he hadn't _answered_, though. What was he going to _tell_ him? If he kept up this subterfuge much longer, he was going to find himself sinking deeper and deeper into deception, and he was determined NOT to do that with Brian any more. He had done that once before, and it had caused both him AND Brian nothing but heartbreak, no matter HOW Brian had tried to convince everyone, including Justin, that it hadn't mattered.

But if he was going to surprise Brian with his grandparents as a wedding present, he unfortunately felt obligated to maintain the ruse just a bit longer or it wouldn't even BE a secret. Before calling Brian back, he made a vow to himself AND to the man he loved that he wouldn't keep this information from him any longer than it took for Gus to arrive over the weekend. If for some reason the Blackwells couldn't make it by then, he would come clean about _everything_, including Brian's father. As much as it greatly disappointed and pained him to have to tell Brian that his father did not want to see him – at least for the immediate future – this was something he couldn't keep from him. Besides, it wouldn't be long before Kathy and Sean Blackwell let that important piece of information slip, anyway, since they already knew who the father was.

He pressed the "1" speed-dial button and waited as the phone began to ring; the phone hadn't even rung one full cycle before it was quickly picked up. _The man must have practically been sitting on the phone…._

"About _time_ you called me back, Mr. Taylor," a soft drawl admonished him; Brian sounded totally nonchalant, but Justin knew better. "And just _where_ have you BEEN, young man?"

Justin smirked, wondering how old he would have to be before Brian stopped with the young and/or twink jokes. "Well, I stopped at the gym this morning to give a blow job to the new trainer there, and then had to travel down to the art gallery on the east side for a personal viewing of an extremely handsome, hung model that needed a talented artist to draw a nude of him, then I drove over to Woody's for lunch with that hot gay DJ from the morning show, _THEN_….."

"Enough already, Taylor!" Brian scolded him. "You're making my _head_ dizzy with all your FUCKING activity!" Of course, Brian didn't believe his partner's explanation for ONE minute. "Since you have chosen not to divulge the REAL reason why you didn't answer your phone, I will have no recourse when I get home but to _punish_ you soundly, young man."

Justin chuckled, relieved at least that Brian wasn't exactly pressing him as to why he hadn't answered his calls. "I guess just admitting I turned the phone off and forgot to turn it back on wouldn't be _exciting_ enough?"

Brian heaved a silent breath at that simple explanation; his HEAD had told him there was a logical and rational explanation for why Justin had been ignoring his calls, but his _heart_ sometimes was another matter, even NOW. He just loved the man so damn much that any possibility that they wouldn't actually go through with their marriage ceremony this time was enough for him to conjure up all _sorts_ of implausible and unpleasant scenarios.

"Huh! Not too likely, Taylor," Brian growled. "The first reason sounds much more plausible. Just be prepared to _give it up _as soon as I get home. I'm _ravenous_."

Justin rolled his eyes and smiled. Ravenous to Brian Kinney always translated to _horny as hell_, and Justin knew what THAT meant; the man would be dragging him up into the bedroom the second he got home without any preamble. Truth be told, though, he was getting a little _ravenous_ himself just listening to the sexy man's commanding tone of voice. "Are you still at work?" he asked, hoping the answer would be yes; he was still in Harrisburg and it would take a good three hours to get back home to even the loft, much less Britin – THAT would take almost an additional half-hour.

"My, my, aren't we impatient? And I thought _I_ was _ravenous_," Brian responded huskily, causing Justin's heart to speed up with anticipation. "It's only 1:30 and I still have two more client meetings this afternoon. So I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to _satisfy your appetite_ until I get home – unless the gym trainer you _worked out with_ this morning needs a _remedial lesson _already."

_Whew – thank goodness_, Justin thought. "Well, I think I can wait – just barely – until you get home. Just don't work any _overtime_ there – you'll be getting plenty of a workout when you get _home, _old man."

"Ha – we'll SEE who's UP to the _challenge_, Mr. Taylor. I'll be looking _forward_ to it," Brian growled before he softly whispered a "Later" and hung up.

Justin sat there in the car, composing his thoughts. What a tangled mess this was becoming! He resolved once more to get everything out in the open by the time Gus arrived and Brian's grandparents visited; for now, his focus was on approaching Brian with the astounding news of his adoption, as well as softening the painful blow that his father didn't have the courage to meet him. Sighing, he finally turned the key in the ignition and slowly drove out of the parking lot, back toward the life he was comfortable with – one Brian's _FATHER_ apparently couldn't – or WOULDN'T - emulate.

_

* * *

_

Johnstown, Pennsylvania – 15 minutes later

Shortly after their phone rang and he picked it up to respond, Sean Blackwell cupped his hand over the landline phone's receiver long enough to whisper, "Kathy! Pick up the other _extension_!"

As she rushed into the bedroom worriedly and picked up the other line, she could hear her husband speaking to another man; anyone else would have thought her husband sounded cool, calm and collected as he conversed with the unknown caller; to someone who had been married to him for almost 57 years now, though, it was immediately evident to her that her husband was _excited _about something. As she continued to listen in, it soon became apparent as to the reason why.

"I was hoping we would hear back from you soon, Mr. Taylor," her husband was saying as she listened in.

Immediately recognizing who the caller was, Kathy quietly came walking back into the living room with the additional cordless handset, her eyes locking on her husband's in understanding of how important this call was; the two of them had thought of nothing else but this moment since learning about their grandson and his OWN son, and they were dying to meet them to share memories of their daughter with them. "I hope you're calling to set up a good time to meet our grandson…AND great grandson."

Justin's spirits were lifted by Mr. Blackwell's apparent eagerness to meet Brian, _especially_ after his not-so-encouraging encounter with Fintan O'Connor. "Please….call me _Justin_," he began before hesitating. Just how much should he go into over the phone about his encounter with Brian's _father_?

"Yes, that's why I'm calling you," he told them after a brief pause. "Gus, Brian's son, is flying down with his two mothers this Friday and will be staying with Brian and me at our house until the wedding. I thought this weekend, then, might be a good time to meet both of them, because the next weekend is when the actual ceremony is taking place, so I'm sure the days preceding it will be a zoo around here. Would that be convenient for you?"

During his visit with the Blackwells, Justin had explained all about how Gus had been conceived and his rather unorthodox living arrangement with Mel and Lindsey. While he could tell the older couple was initially startled by the two women sharing parenting with Brian, once they got over their initial shock, Justin was impressed to realize that they weren't _repulsed_ by it. As in the case of _Brian's_ sexual persuasion, they had processed the information and acted favorably on it without passing judgement. Justin couldn't help thinking how ironic it was that the _gay_ part of Brian's newly-discovered family was the one having the most difficulty _accepting _it, rather than the _straight_ relatives.

Mr. Blackwell readily replied, "Yes! We would _love_ to meet _BOTH_ of them! Just tell us where and when, and we'll be there," he assured him, looking over to his wife, who smiled and nodded excitedly. At last they were going to come face to face with part of their daughter's living legacy. As they had perused all of the photos Justin had left with them earlier, it had given them some degree of peace knowing that, in a way, their beloved daughter had lived on in the form of her son and grandson.

Justin let out a breath of relief that at least _part_ of his surprise may actually go right. "They are due to get in pretty late in the evening on Friday. Why don't the two of you plan on coming out for lunch on Saturday – say around 1:30?"

Kathy nodded at her husband, who told Justin, "We'll be there, Justin. What's the address?" As Sean hurriedly wrote down the address on a nearby pad, he heard Kathy whispering something to him before he repeated the question to Justin. "What about _Fin_? Were you able to contact him and let him know what's going on? Will he be there, too?"

Justin let out a slight sigh of resignation and defeat at the man's question before admitting, "Yes….I actually saw - AND spoke to him - today." There was no point in hiding the fact.

"My _God_!" Sean exclaimed, not expecting that Justin would succeed quite so quickly; he knew from what he had read in the paper and numerous magazines that it was almost harder apparently to speak with Fin than getting into the White House to see the President. "What did he _say_?" he asked, extremely curious. "I bet he was even more shocked than WE were."

Justin sighed once more. "You could _say_ that," he told the man. _That was an understatement….you could say we were BOTH surprised. _"He was definitely surprised." He again hesitated slightly before confiding to him, "He…..turned down meeting Brian, at least for the time being."

Justin could hear Sean's wife now, loudly registering her shock at the other man's refusal to see their grandson; evidently she had been there while they were talking and had heard the entire thing. You're _kidding me!_" he heard her say to her husband. "He _refused?_ Why in the world would he DO that?"

Justin really wasn't in the mood right then to go into explicit detail as to exactly why Senator O'Connor had declined to meet with Brian; chances are, he would not only have to explain it to them on Saturday, but _Brian,_ also. He definitely wasn't looking forward to THAT part, but it had to be done; he might as well, then, explain it to both parties at the same time. "It's…..a _long_ story," he told them somewhat vaguely. "I'll fill you both in on Saturday, okay?"

Sean and Kathy exchanged a worried, puzzled look before the man said quietly, "Okay...We'll seen you - AND Brian and our GRANDSON - then. We can't wait."

As Justin finally ended their conversation, he noticed he was just about two hours now outside of Britin, where Brian had said he preferred they meet tonight, rather than at the nearby loft; Britin was quickly becoming their permanent residence. Eagerly, then, he drove on toward his and Brian's home, anxious to see the only person who could manage to help him forget the day's frustration and sorrow.

_

* * *

_

Britin – 3 hours later

Justin lay with his head on Brian's chest as the brunet slowly stroked his soft, blond hair; true to his word, Brian had barely gotten through the front door an hour ago before he pounced on him in the library and proceeded to literally tear his clothes off him as he had sat on the couch drawing. They had fucked passionately on the leather couch until Justin's back was so sweaty he almost stuck permanently to the slick fabric, made love slowly in the shower until all the hot water ran out, and then fucked AND made love once more in their king-sized bed, where they were relaxing now.

Their _physical_ hunger thoroughly sated now, he could feel Brian's warm fingers idly feathering his hair; he knew his partner so thoroughly by now that he could tell by the tempo of the movement that Brian was happily getting drowsy now and slowly falling asleep. Frequently after they made love, Brian would often do just that afterward, even though God forbid if anyone should find out the great Brian Kinney actually like to _snuggle_ after fucking and drift off into la-la land as he held Justin cocooned in his arms.

The fingers running gently through his hair finally stopped, signaling the brunet must have finally fallen asleep as Justin contemplated just how happy and fulfilled he felt with Brian, and how lucky the two of them were to have found each other. He signed sadly, knowing that this wonderful, worthy man was going to be deprived of a gift Justin had been hoping so badly to be able to provide him – a _father_ who was proud of him and wanted to be in his life. _Looks like BOTH of us have ANOTHER thing in common_, Justin thought somberly, thinking inexplicably of his OWN father – a man who had at least ACTED like he loved him and was proud of him until that life-altering time when he had finally realized just who he WAS and his father, like Brian's, couldn't deal with the reality. The reasons WHY were different when it came to the two fathers – but the awful, heart wrenching _result_ was still the same.

"What was _that_ for?" he suddenly heard Brian's soft voice of concern, startling him slightly.

"What was _what _for? I….thought you were asleep," Justin admitted, turning his head to gaze up into a pair of watchful, hazel eyes presently studying him, all hint of sleep now gone.

"Well, I ALMOST was," Brian mockingly growled at him. "But someone's melodramatic sighing _woke me up_." His free arm tightened around Justin's shoulder as he lightly squeezed it to get the other man's attention. "You want to tell me what THAT was for?" He knew it was absolutely silly and ridiculous, but again, he was somehow filled with fear that something would go wrong before their wedding. Before, he would have been almost dancing in the aisles at the thought that any wedding between the two of them would have been called off; NOW, however, he saw things in a new perspective.

Having Justin out of his life for a year had been a major wake-up call for him. He had initially thought the _bombing_ had served that purpose; it had certainly been horrific enough and had definitely gotten him thinking about just what – and WHO – was important in his life. But in a way, being separated from his partner _physically_ for a year had awakened his sensibilities and priorities even further. He couldn't comprehend the idea any more of being away from Justin for an extended period of time, and he wanted the entire, fucking world now to know how he felt. Marrying the man he loved – in front of Justin's family and their friends – wasn't _surrendering_ to tradition and burden; it was _freeing him up_ to openly express his love and devotion to him in front of everyone else. To be able to live a life filled with happiness and fulfillment, but still with a tinge of challenge – he would expect nothing less from Justin – THAT was the greatest freedom of them ALL.

Justin winced at his partner's perception; he NEVER could prevent Brian from knowing when something was bothering him. "I'm fine," he replied lamely as he averted his eyes downward, trying hard to still his slightly-trembling hand that was resting on Brian's upper arm.

He could feel rather than see his lover's head moving before Brian whispered, "Bullshit. That was DEFINITELY a "_Something's_ _bothering me_" sigh, Sunshine. Out with it," he commanded flatly, leaving no room for argument. Just to make sure Justin couldn't somehow squirm his way out of answering the question, he brought his hand firmly to bear under the blond's chin and slowly forced his partner to look up into his probing eyes.

His voice was softer this time as he whispered, "TELL me, Justin. What's bothering you?" Brian noted with concern that this was the SECOND time Justin had been noticeably quiet – the _first_ time had been when they had eaten out several days ago. Justin has later tried to lightly explain it away by telling him it had something to do with his wedding present, but by the way his partner was acting, there had to be a lot more to it than just trying to keep some wedding gift a secret. NO Armani shoes or leather Gucci briefcase would cause THIS amount of reticence or fretting.

Justin stared back at the mesmerizing hazel eyes of his partner. _Partner_, as in they should share _everything_. Was this the right time to _tell_ him, though? Right after they had made _love_? He supposed Brian would be completely relaxed right now, that was for sure. But telling him such unbelievable news while they were basking in the "afterglow" of their union? Somehow that didn't seem like the best time to discuss the shocking revelation that Brian was adopted, and had living grandparents as well as a father who didn't care to get to know him. He couldn't just blurt THAT out, and truthfully, he felt so right, so protected currently as he reveled in his partner's loving embrace that he didn't want to _spoil_ the moment. There would be plenty of time for that shocking revelation in the next few days before Gus arrived.

He licked his lips nervously; he knew Brian would immediately hone in on his reaction to note that there WAS something, indeed, bothering him, but he just couldn't discuss it right now – not here, not in their bed. "I'm _fine_, Brian," he reiterated a little more convincingly this time. "I just have a lot on my mind about the wedding." _At least that was SORT OF the truth, anyway. _"There's just so much to think of and remember before the event."

Brian stared into the soft pools of blue, thinking once more how much that look affected him. _When you look at me with so much love, Sunshine, you can get me to do ANYTHING. Including believing that nothing else is bothering you when I know that it IS._ But he loved Justin enough to accept his partner's statement at face value for now; he resolved, however, to get to the bottom of just what was bothering him before their ceremony.

He curled his lips under in a tender look before saying lightly, "You just remember, Mr. Taylor, that the most important thing to remember _before the _event is NOT to allow Emmett full discretion regarding the bar stock. We don't need ten cases of prissy, girly-girl Cosmo drinks at the reception."

Extremely relieved that the tense moment had apparently passed, Justin responded in kind. "I'll make it my life's goal next week to make sure he's NOT placed in charge of the liquor order then," he promised, smiling slightly.

_If that's the way you want to play it for now, Sunshine, that's the way we'll do it….but don't think I'm going to let this just drop, Buster….._

"Well, now that you've been _punished properly_," Brian said out loud. "Are you ready to go raid the refrigerator? I guess it's only fair that you get to satisfy THAT _appetite_, too." _And maybe, just maybe, if you get fed, you'll tell me what's REALLY bothering you…._

Justin nodded before Brian angled his head down to bestow a long, deep kiss on his partner's waiting lips. Just before they finally disentangled themselves from each other's embrace to get out of bed, Justin silently prayed that he was doing the right thing. _Soon, Brian….Soon. I promise….._


	11. Lives Shifting in Motion

_State Capitol Building – Late Afternoon_

"Fin? Are you even _listening _to me?"

The senator turned his head, startled at Regina's seemingly sudden appearance by his desk. Had his assistant been _speaking_ to him? He noticed her standing there, one hand on her hip and the other holding her cell phone, but he didn't have any idea how – or when – the woman had entered his private office. Despite his intentions, ever since Tony had left several hours ago he had found himself staring at the same screen on his laptop, over and over again. _So much for taking my mind off other matters…._

He sighed apologetically as the rather indignant woman stared back at him, puzzled. "I'm _sorry_, Regina," Fin told her softly. "I've got a lot on my mind." _That was DEFINITELY an understatement…_ "Did you need something?"

Fin's assistant stood there mystified; it was so unlike her boss to zone out on her, or ANY of his duties while at work. When he was in his office, the man was like a dynamo, boring his way through whatever task was thrown at him. Frequently, if she didn't know better, she would have sworn the man was an octopus in a previous life, because no one could do what THIS man did without having several extra arms. How he managed to accomplish so much in so little time was beyond her comprehension; THIS type of behavior for Fin O'Connor, then, was totally off the wall.

"What is _going on_, Fin?" she demanded; she hadn't been working for this man for almost 10 years now without developing the backbone to say what she really thought. Her boss would expect nothing less, anyway. "You didn't answer my private page and now you're acting like you're on some other _planet_. I've been trying to talk to you for a while now." She shook her head slightly in total confusion. Whatever was occupying her boss' mind had to be pretty monumental to get him _this_ shook up.

Fin closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to will away the migraine that was insidiously attempting to creep into his head. Thoughts of Tony, Justin Taylor, and his son were constantly invading his mind to the detriment of his work. He didn't feel like sharing that bit of information at the moment with his assistant, however, no matter HOW much he might trust her. Regina _already_ knew about his and Tony's true relationship, and he had to admit, she had been able to keep it a secret for several years now. He did NOT, however, feel it would be prudent to discuss with her this LATEST twist in his life. Hell, HE wasn't even sure anymore what he was going to do. Before, everything had seemed so clear – but that was before Justin Taylor walked in with Tony this morning, and it was before he learned about his ready-made family.

"What did you need, Regina?" Tony asked her wearily, his voice a little more harsh than he had intended. The events of this morning had totally disrupted his normal routine, as well as his life - and had dramatically removed him from his comfort zone. He had a feeling that from this day forward, no matter his wishes, his world was probably never going to be the same again…

"What I NEED is for you to stay on schedule," she reminded him a little sharply; she didn't have a clue what was going on, but she DID know that her ability to stay on top of things hinged upon how well her BOSS stayed on track. So far, to her aggravation as well as surprise, the Senator was doing a lousy job of it. "You had a meeting scheduled with Mathison five minutes ago," he rebuked him. "His aide just called looking for you, because you weren't answering your phone. The Senator's wanting to leave for the day."

"Shit!" O'Connor growled as he abruptly stood up and glanced at his watch to verify he was, indeed, missing an important meeting with the other senator. "I'm leaving right now," he told her; he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and hurriedly slipped it on as he rushed toward the interoffice door. "Call his office and let him know I'm on my way, okay?" he asked her; he didn't bother to listen to her response as he quickly ran out the outer door and into the hallway, leaving his assistant shaking her head in mystification.

_

* * *

_

Britin – Same Day - Late Thursday Evening

Justin sat next to Brian, picking at the leftovers of his chicken parmesan that he had warmed up in the microwave; he idly stirred his fork in the cheesy mixture, more of a way to keep his hands busy and his eyes from straying over to his partner's. He actually _was_ hungry, but he realized that presently his stomach was too tied up in knots from the day's events to even _think_ about eating. He found himself replaying the events in Harrisburg over and over again, trying to determine if there was something else he could have done to change O'Connor's mind about refusing to meet with his son, but hard as he tried, he couldnt' think of anything.

"Is it _dead_ yet?"

Justin raised his head, startled, to peer into his partner's probing eyes. "Huh?" he asked, rather distractedly.

"I said - is it _DEAD_ yet?" Brian motioned to Justin's plate in front of him. "That would be the only reason I could think of to explain why you're playing with your food, instead of _eating it_. Is it TOO hot? Want me to _blow on it?_" He drawled, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Brian knew the food wasn't hot, however – even if it HAD been hot before, the food had been out of the microwave for at least 15 minutes; he had noticed during that time that his partner had eaten maybe two bites. This wasn't definitely NOT the Justin Taylor HE knew…..Now all he had to do was figure out just what was going _on_.

Justin could only manage a half-smile at his partner's attempt at humor. "Maybe later," he whispered; he tried to keep the smile on his face but found that he couldn't. The events from earlier today were still uppermost on his mind. Why couldn't Brian's father come to his senses and realize just what he was giving up? And for what - the chance that he _might_ make a difference in other people's lives? What about his own _son's_ life? What about HIS life? Didn't he realize what the consequences were?

Brian looked back at his partner - the love of his life, the man his world revolved around, the man who had changed his life forever; a man who was clearly preoccupied with _something_ - something that had apparently been bothering him for some time. He couldn't stand it; when Justin hurt, HE hurt.

"All right, Justin," Brian said flatly, reaching over to firmly take his partner's free hand. "Out with it," he demanded; his thumb slowly caressed the top of his fiancé's hand, causing Justin's pulse to speed up. Even now – even after all this time – just a simple touch of Brian's hand was enough to make his heart skip a beat. He had long ago given up trying to figure out how the man did it; he just knew that he DID.

As Brian gazed at him with a combination of concern and puzzlement, Justin was undergoing an internal struggle with himself over what to do. He knew he _had_ to tell his lover what was going on; but somewhere deep inside, he was still hoping somehow that Brian's father would come to his senses and agree to not only meet with Brian, but accept him into his life openly. He knew, however, that his time was running out; he was already expecting Brian's grandparents in a couple of days. If he couldn't somehow convince Senator O'Connor to change his mind and embrace Brian and his lifestyle openly, it would be too late to keep the secret then. Either way, Brian had to be told by this weekend, good or bad.

Finally deciding, then, that his news could still wait until at least Saturday, he bit his lip pensively before he replied, "I'm _fine_, Brian. _Really_." As Brian sighed in frustration over yet _another_ vow that didn't quite ring true, Justin placed his fork down on his plate and reached his other hand up to gently brush the brunet's cheek softly. _God, I love you, Brian Kinney_….

"Brian," he began tentatively. What was he going to _say, _though? He felt terrible about all this secrecy, and he had this dreadful feeling that it was all going to bite him in the ass if he didn't do something soon. He knew already from past experience how his fiancé's imagination could run away with him; was it all worth this? But if he COULD somehow talk O'Connor into changing his mind, it WOULD all be worth it. Despite the man's stubbornness – no doubt a trait that his SON had inherited from him – he still felt the man was a decent person. He just needed prodding in the right direction to do the right thing by his son.

He took a deep breath and out let it out as Brian peered intently into his eyes, trying somehow to ascertain exactly what his lover was thinking. "Brian," he began again; he didn't know if looking at Brian's face of concern was giving him strength to go on or not, but he marched forward – at least with the _partial _truth. "Just give me a couple more days," he pleaded softly.

Brian frowned; this wasn't the answer he was expecting, but then again, he had NO idea exactly what was going on, anyway. "A couple more days for _what_, Justin?" He shook his head, perplexed. "What the fuck is GOING on, Sunshine?" He tried to keep his voice level and avoid sounding suspicious, but the longer Justin kept this secret from him, the more vivid his imagination was becoming.

Justin averted his eyes as he turned his head slightly in awkwardness. Not for the first time, he questioned if he was doing the right thing. When he first found out that Brian was adopted, he was confident that all this secrecy was necessary to find out exactly what sort of biological parents Brian had; he was determined that the man he loved not go through the pain he had already endured at the hands of his adoptive parents. Now, he knew Brian's mother was dead and his father was refusing to acknowledge him openly. If it hadn't been for his grandparents, who wanted to welcome Brian and Gus into their lives, Justin would have just let the whole situation drop and written it off as an unfortunate circumstance. Now, however, he was going to have to come clean about the whole thing, at least by Saturday, because the Blackwells would be there by early afternoon.

"I told you before it had to do with your wedding present," he finally told the brunet. "It can't be a surprise if I tell you what it is." _Just two more days…_

Brian stared at his partner, wondering once again just what was going on in that blond head of his. "Justin, this _surprise wedding present_ is getting damned peculiar. What is so unusual that you have to wait until THEN to tell me about it? What's going to change between now and Saturday?" A sudden thought occurred to him. "Does it have something to do with Gus? He's already going to be the ring bearer, you know."

Justin gave him a patronizing look. "I _know that_, Brian – I'm the person you're marrying, remember?" he chided him softly. "And to answer your question, no, it _isn't_ about Gus – at least not directly." As Brian rolled his eyes in exasperation, he explained, "I just want him to be here when you see it, that's all. It affects him, too," he added somewhat mysteriously.

"Shit, Justin! Why do I feel like we're going around in _circles_ here?" He released his partner's hand and stood up, shaking his head. "You drive me crazy sometimes, you _know_ that? I don't understand what could be so important that you have to act like some fucking _FBI agent_‼" Letting out a ragged breath of frustration, he stood there, trying with difficulty not to let anger creep into his voice. He didn't like what was going on – _whatever_ the hell it was – but he still loved his fiancé with all his heart and he knew deep down he wouldn't do something to hurt him.

Justin pursed his lips, wanting so badly to tell Brian the whole story, but for some reason feeling like he couldn't – at least not yet. His eyes filled with unshed tears as he watched with concern when his fiancé stood up from the table. "Brian….please. Just give me until Saturday. I'll tell you everything then. _Please_," he pleaded softly, reaching out to take the brunet's hand.

Brian didn't make a move to come any closer, but he didn't refuse Justin's overture, either. _Damn you, Sunshine_. He couldn't bear to look at those soft blue eyes without his insides turning to a pile of marshmallow. Only Justin would be allowed to get away with what he does…..But then again, he always _could_.

Justin slowly pulled Brian toward him until the blond stood up, their faces only inches apart. He reached his hand around to the back of Brian's neck to feather the auburn hair as he murmured sincerely, "I _love you_, Brian Kinney. So much. And I know you _believe that_. Just give me two more days and then you'll understand everything. I _promise_."

Brian shook his head, still amazed even how much this man had affected his life so long ago, and how he STILL affected him, just by the sound of his voice and his touch. _I am SO forever lost…_

His mouth twisted as, defeated, he finally whispered back, "Okay, Sunshine. _Two more days_. Then you are coming clean about everything – you got it?" He leaned over until their noses were touching as he proceeded to nuzzle the blond's neck, inhaling the familiar, intoxicating scent of his lover as he closed his eyes in surrender.

As the two men embraced, their bodies rocking back and forth gently in each other's arms, Justin gave a silent prayer of gratitude for this wonderful, complex man who had changed his life forever, thinking how lost he would be without him. _Please let his father realize how special he is, too_, he pleaded silently, as he held onto Brian tightly.

_

* * *

_

Friday Morning – Harrisburg

The beeping of his alarm woke Fin up right on schedule at 6:30 a.m. As he always did, he stretched over in his half-asleep state to slap the clock to silence it, and then reached over to place a hand on his partner's shoulder to nudge him awake. Tony always _did _have a hard time getting up on his own; if he hadn't been for _him_, the man would have probably missed at least half of his court trials.

But what happened next roused Fin out of his still-drowsy state; instead of feeling his partner's soft, warm shoulder, his hand only felt the cold smoothness of the empty pillow lying next to his head. He opened his eyes in somber realization of why Tony wasn't lying next to him; his partner, in one of the rare times since they had met almost ten years ago, wasn't where he belonged. He was sleeping instead in some impersonal, ostentatious hotel suite downtown.

He sighed in frustration and sadness. Tony had made good on his promise to call him last night, but his tone of voice had been cool and distant; the hurt was evident as he told Fin he had checked into the Ritz like he said he would. Fin had asked him to come back to the house to talk about everything, but Tony had refused. He felt he had said everything he needed to say, and to him the choice was simple: either stop living a lie and quit sneaking around like they had something to hide, or come clean about _everything_ and let the political chips fall where they may.

_If only it were that easy, my love_, Fin thought painfully as he lay there in their oversized bed. Right now, the king-sized mattress might as well have been the size of a _football field _without his partner there with him. He had never felt so alone or lost in his life. Before Justin Taylor had walked into his office yesterday, he thought his future was cemented and secure; he would run successfully for Governor, his partner faithfully by his side, and once he was firmly ensconced in the Governor's mansion, he would quietly set out to secure as many equal rights for gay residents as he could.

Somewhere along the line, however, he failed to realize how Tony's resentment and hurt was slowly simmering toward an emotional boil. That boiling point had definitely been reached yesterday; his partner had told him in no uncertain terms just what it would take for the two of them to remain together. What Tony wanted, though, was no simple request – he could either seriously, or even fatally, jeopardize his campaign for Governor, or lose the man he loved deeply forever. Both were impossible choices to reconcile; he honestly didn't think he could have both., because despite the gains that had been made for gays in the country, they were still ostracized and derided by the mainstream, conservative faction.

On the other hand, however, would it be worth what he would have to give up? His lover, and a family that he had dreamed of for years – a family he never thought he would ever _have_? As he lay in the opulent, historic bed at the governor's mansion, would his political success keep his nights warm, or warm his _heart_? Would it make him feel fulfilled and happy? Just what WAS more important to him?

He sighed heavily as he sat up in bed; until now, his home had always seemed so warm and inviting, like a protected cocoon where no one could hurt him or Tony. Now it seemed like a frigid, barren wilderness, dry and lifeless.

As the alarm once again sounded, signaling that it was ten minutes later, he finally threw the cover back reluctantly and rose from the bed, his emotions awash with turmoil. Freshly showered and clean-shaven a half-hour later, he softly closed the front door behind him and walked slowly to his car. His trip into the Senate office building was one he had taken several thousand times before, but for the first time he wondered if he was traveling on the right path.

_

* * *

_

Ritz Carlton – downtown Harrisburg – 8:00 a.m.

Tony straightened his tie in the mirror as he sighed; despite the luxurious accommodations the Ritz provided him, he had slept fitfully last night, his thoughts too awhirl with what had transpired yesterday. Despite his great sadness over his decision to separate from Fin, he still felt like he was doing the right thing. Their subterfuge had been bothering him for years now; he had gritted his teeth and stayed quiet, however, due to his great love for Fin and his wishes to not damage his partner's political ambitions.

Now, however, with Justin's unexpected appearance yesterday, and in light of the courage the young man had shown in the face of much older – and supposedly _wiser_ – men, he had finally realized that he couldn't sneak around any longer. He was tired – SO tired- of constantly having to look behind his back to make sure no prying eyes were looking, and being near his partner but not being able to touch him, or talk to him, or acknowledge what he meant to him. That was no way to live – that was _cowardice_. Nothing but plain cowardice. He would never want to hurt Fin, and if it was the other man's wish that he not divulge their true relationship, he wouldn't – but it was time to come out into the light of truth. If Fin couldn't find a way to be open about their relationship, it would hurt like hell, but he would move on without his partner somehow. He closed his eyes at the possibility of his loss, the reality of what he might have to do painfully clear. _Oh, Fin…..why can't you understand what you're doing to you – to US? _

He thought about his and Fin's meeting with Justin yesterday; he had kidded his partner about how both he and his son were attracted to intelligent, "hot" blonds, but beyond the teasing, he had actually felt a certain kinsman ship with Justin; both of them were driven, determined, and loyal to their partners. Both were in love with successful, strong-willed men. But that was where the similarities ended, because he felt envious of Justin for what the young man had and he _didn't_ – a partner who openly loved him and was not afraid to let everyone else KNOW it. Until yesterday, he hadn't really realized just how much he had craved that; now, however, it was painfully, clearly obvious.

He stood there in front of the mirror as a sad, heartbroken man stared back at him. _Why, Fin? Why? _

The ringing of his cell phone at the fairly early hour jolted him out of his painful musing. Looking around for the object, he finally remembered he had left it in his jacket pocket last night. He had been so preoccupied with what had happened yesterday; by the time he had gotten to his hotel room he was physically and mentally exhausted. After a quick shower and a rapid perusal of yesterday's newspaper, he had succumbed to his tiredness and finally laid down in the dark to try and sleep. He had quickly discovered, however, that sleep was severely elusive last night; at best, he had probably gotten a total of two hours' rest.

As he located his phone and flipped it open, he noticed with some curiosity that he didn't recognize the caller's number. In his profession, though, that wasn't exactly uncommon; at any given time, it wasn't unusual to have either a new client or an opposing attorney calling him for something. "Hello?" he said tentatively.

"Tony?" he heard a voice on the other line that sounded somewhat familiar. "This is Justin Taylor. I'm really sorry to call you so early, but I really needed to speak with you – is the Senator there?" Justin asked anxiously; he knew it was barely 8:00, but Brian had left a short while ago, and he just couldn't get his experience yesterday out of his mind. Taking a chance that being an attorney, Cassinelli would be an early riser, he decided he couldn't wait any longer to try and reach him; at the very least, he could leave the man a message to call him back. He was also hoping that Brian's father would have already left for the capital building; he needed to speak with the man's partner _alone_.

Tony's felt his pulse quicken at the sound of Justin's voice; it was almost as if the man had read his mind somehow, because he had been thinking it might be helpful to talk to him again. For someone of such a relatively young age, he had found Justin to be quite mature and sure of what he wanted; something that in his profession he found extremely refreshing.

"No, Justin, you didn't wake me," he assured the blond. "I normally get up a lot earlier than this, and, besides, I didn't exactly get a good night's sleep last night."

He heard Justin's soft huff of irony. "Yeah, I certainly know _that_ feeling," he told the other man. "After meeting with Brian's father yesterday, I could hardly get to sleep at _all_. I just kept replaying yesterday's meeting over and over, trying to think if there was anything I could have done differently to get him to change his mind. I was actually hoping you might have some suggestions."

Justin heard the older man sigh. "I wish I _DID_, believe me. After you left, I told Fin I couldn't keep living our lie any longer – it's been eating at me for a long time, but I guess I hid it deep inside until you forced me to face the truth. I told him I was going to stay at the Ritz Hotel for a while until we decided what we're going to do."

Justin gasped, shocked at this unexpected turn of events. He couldn't help blaming himself for it. "I'm…._so sorry_, Tony," he whispered. "I never meant for this to happen. Maybe I never should have tried to reunite Brian with his father. It seems like it's caused nothing but pain and problems. I'm beginning to think I should have just looked the other way." He and Brian had been happy – no, they WERE happy – wasn't that enough? Why did he feel a need to pursue this whole sordid mess? Of course, he KNEW why – because he loved Brian so much, and wanted him to have the family he always deserved.

Tony, however, was quick to correct the other man. "NO, Justin, it's NOT your fault, believe me. This was coming for a long time now; I think somehow I was just hoping if I ignored the _dinosaur _in the room, it would just go away. But it _won't_; it just keeps getting worse and worse. As much as I fucking _hate _it, it's time to force Fin to make a choice – live the lie and sit high and mighty on his governor's throne, or come down off his high horse and admit what he really is – a big, fat, _queer. _I CAN tell you one thing, though – the king's going to find it's pretty lonely sitting up top."

Justin could hear the other man's torment by the tone of his voice. He may be pretending to be flippant about what the other man was going to have to go through, but he wasn't fooling him for one _minute_; if it had been BRIAN having to make that decision, and it might mean never seeing him again, he knew how much pain HE would be in. He couldn't help admiring Tony, though, for standing up for what he believed in.

"I really don't know what to _say_, Tony," he responded sympathetically. "You don't think there's still a chance he might reconsider?"

The attorney was quiet for a few seconds as he considered that possibility. "I honestly don't know, Justin. He's really a decent guy – he really DOES want to help push for gay rights here in the State. I know this can't be easy for him. But he just doesn't seem to understand that by living a lie, he's going to lose his credibility, and without credibility, no one's going to support him, even if he DOES manage to fool everyone until after he's elected." He paused briefly before adding, "I hope he comes to his senses, somehow; despite his misguided intentions, I still LOVE the bastard. I just can't live with the fantasy world he has us living in."

Justin sighed, not exactly encouraged by what Tony was saying. He was hesitant to even mention what he wanted to ask Tony now. "I guess what I really called about now is irrelevant," he said sadly. It was beginning to look more and more like he was going to have to tell Brian tomorrow what he had been dreading – that while he had a set of grandparents who were excited to meet him and his son, his own _father_ didn't want anything to do with him.

"What?" Tony asked curiously.

Justin hesitated for a few seconds before admitting, "I was hoping to ask you if you could somehow try to talk the Senator into at least _meeting_ with Brian and maybe getting to know him; I thought maybe if he could _meet_ Brian and Gus, he would realize what he would be giving up by refusing to acknowledge them."

Tony sighed unhappily. "I _don't know_, Justin," he told his caller. "We're still speaking, but I've pretty laid out for him where I stand. And he's pretty much made his viewpoint clear, too. I'm afraid the rest is up to him – he knows all the facts and what he stands to lose on both sides. He's just going to have to decide what is most important to him – what he might stand to _gain, _or what he might stand to LOSE."

Justin nodded to himself. "Yeah….I guess you're right," he said in resignation. "Brian's grandparents are coming out to our house tomorrow," he informed the other man. "At least _THEY'RE_ looking forward to meeting him," he said, not able to keep some of the bitterness from creeping into his voice. He supposed he should be grateful for THAT much, at least, and he _was_; he had just hoped that he would be able to give Brian everything he deserved, including a father that loved and admired him.

"I'm glad to hear it," Tony told him sincerely; he was still in a sort of mourning, however, for what he – and Fin's son – would apparently never have; the worst part of it all, however, was that Fin didn't seem to understand he stood to lose the most of ALL. "I…..wish you and Brian all the best, Justin, I really do. I….._envy you_," he admitted softly. "You're very lucky to have found each other."

Justin smiled. "I _know_, Tony," he whispered. "I _know_." As he ended his conversation with the other man, he couldn't help thinking that even though Brian's father was unwilling to embrace his own son and grandson, he would never go a single day without realizing how fortunate he was to have become an integral part of Brian and Gus's family. Perhaps that was enough.


	12. A REAL Family: Telling Brian

_Friday Afternoon_ – _Harrisburg _

Fin sat at his desk, idly fingering an expensive, cherry-wood pen in his hand. He had just come from the Senate floor below after voting for a much-ballyhooed piece of tax legislation that one of his fellow colleagues had strongly encouraged him to help get passed.

He couldn't help thinking as he sat there, however, about whether he could have counted on the same senator's assistance if he had tried to push through some _gay-rights legislation_. Was he naïve thinking that if he helped one of his colleagues out with their pet causes that they would do the same for _him? _Even more importantly, if he DID run successfully for Governor, as everyone expected him to, would that really help him to push more effectively for those same rights? Even if he COULD, what would the _cost_ wind up being?

He sighed, his thoughts a jumbled kaleidoscope of confusion over what he should or shouldn't do, not just in his political arena but his _personal_ life as well. He reached down to slowly tug open the middle right drawer of his desk and pull out the folded and now-wrinkled piece of paper that he had hastily retrieved the other day from his wastebasket. As he placed the paper on his desk and opened it, he smoothed the paper out carefully as he stared at the faces peering back at him, so much like his own, except for one difference.

In the sketch, father and son were facing the artist, both with looks of obvious joy on their faces. He couldn't help staring at the remarkably life-like drawing. When was the last time HE had felt that way? Oh, he and Tony had been happy over the years – at least until recently he had _thought_ so – but he couldn't recall one time in his recent life when he had EVER looked as happy as the father and son staring back at him now. Was it because his son had a son of his _own_? Did having his own child make his son feel fulfilled, valuable, and complete? Would it make HIM feel that way, too?

He had craved a child and a family for so long, but had given up on the idea several years ago. After all, he was in a monogamous, loving relationship but under the laws of Pennsylvania, he and Tony could never legally adopt a child. Somehow, though, his son had managed to have a son; from the startling resemblance between the two, also, it was obvious that the little boy – _Gus_, if he recalled what Justin had told him correctly – was the spitting image of his father. He had to, therefore, be Brian's _biological_ child. How was it possible for them to have a father-son relationship with no legal protection?

They apparently had a close relationship, too, if the sketch was an accurate portrayal. Fin couldn't help envying their relationship – it was the kind he had always longed for and had decided he could never have. Now, he had been offered not only a full-grown son, but a _grandson_, and what did he do? He had _turned it down_.

_You're a damn fool_, he couldn't help thinking; he closed his eyes as the pain washed over him; pain for what had been, pain for rejecting what he had always wanted, and pain for what he couldn't accept. Now all he had to do was decide what he was going to DO about it.

_

* * *

_

Friday Evening – Britin

"That goes upstairs, last bedroom on the right," Brian instructed the men laboring to hold up a large piece of bedroom furniture. "And don't fucking hit anything against the _wall_!" he growled as the four men came perilously close to banging the chest against the nearby downstairs paneling.

As the men slowly managed to make it up to the upstairs landing under his watchful scrutiny, Brian turned to observe his partner walking into the house from the garage with two paper bags full of groceries.

"Brian? What's going _on_?" Justin asked, puzzled. "I saw a truck outside from _Benson's_." Out of the corner of his eye, he had caught just a flash of something being taken upstairs.

Justin had noticed earlier in the day that with everything going on lately, he hadn't had a chance to stock up in anticipation of their guests arriving later this evening, and he wanted to make sure he was prepared. He always enjoyed cooking for visitors, submerging himself happily in the monstrous kitchen they now had, but lately his thoughts had been concentrated elsewhere on much more pressing matters. He knew he had an important decision to make tonight – when to tell his partner what he had been up to and prepare him for even MORE unexpected visitors tomorrow.

"I'm having a bedroom suite delivered for Sonny Boy," Brian told his fiancé. "I decided if he was going to be spending so much time here, it was time we got him out of that awful convertible bed and into a _decent_ one. Besides," he added, leaning over to give Justin a quick kiss on the lips before continuing, "If I can get Gus to sleep through the night with a new _bed_, then you and I can continue our normal bedroom _schedule_."

Justin tried to smile at Brian's not-so-subtle reference to his son's tendency to "interrupt" their fucking/love making at not-so-convenient times. Because whenever Gus visited them, he tended to wake up at some point in the middle of the night because he needed to use the bathroom, wanted a drink or something to eat, or he was just plain scared to sleep in his own room by himself because of those dreaded "monsters" under his bed. Unfortunately, once he had wormed his way into their bedroom, he tended to want to stay with them for the rest of the night. That definitely tended to put the kibosh on their sexual activity while he was here.

He TRIED to appear amused and nonchalant as he looked up into his fiance's eyes, but he couldn't quite accomplish it; he simply had too much on his mind, and truth be told, in a way he was dreading his upcoming talk with Brian; it was great that his grandparents wanted to meet him, but having to tell the man he loved that his real father didn't want anything to do with him wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"There's no guarantee that Gus will stay in his own bed, just because you get him a new one," he cautioned the brunet sensibly, trying hard to push the other unpleasant topic out of his mind.

Brian nodded his head in agreement as he curled his lips under in a trademark look of mischievousness. "No, there's not, but if we _happen_ to have the door locked and we _tell him_ beforehand that he will need to go find his mothers sleeping _next door_, instead of in OUR room down the hall, he'll get the idea – he's a very smart boy; after all, he's MY son."

Brian waited for Justin to react the way he normally did by rolling his eyes, smirking, or smacking him on the arm – _anything_. But he was somewhat concerned to notice that Justin didn't even crack a smile at his attempt at humor; he merely bit his lip pensively as if he were debating something internally and couldn't come up with a definitive answer.

"Did you hear what I _said_?" Brian said, somewhat exasperated. "Are you _listening_ to me, Sunshine?"

Justin started a little sheepishly. "No, I guess I wasn't," he admitted softly. "I'm sure you'll do what's best," he said vaguely as he turned to walk into the kitchen. Brian shook his head, unable to figure out just what was going on, before he turned to silently follow his partner. He watched as Justin began to methodically remove items from the grocery bags and place them into the cupboard and refrigerator.

Brian placed his hands on his hips as he stood against the kitchen table. "Justin, you didn't hear what I said _at all _in there…..this is really starting to annoy me; just what the _hell_ has been going ON with you this past week?" He stood there, eyes flashing with annoyance. He had tried for several days now to overlook his partner's evasiveness and secretiveness; but he was fast reaching the end of his rope. Between working overtime at Kinnetik, trying to finish up some important projects before their wedding, Gus' visit starting later tonight, and the wedding itself, he was stretched out about as far as he could be without losing his sanity. His partner's wish to hide something from him, even if it WAS under the pretense of being a surprise wedding present, was quickly beginning to wear very thin.

Justin sighed in response to his dilemma; he _knew_ he HAD to tell Brian, no matter HOW painful it might be. He had hoped to buy a little more time to determine how best to broach the topic, but he knew he was quickly running out of time…Perhaps now was the moment he had been both anticipating as well as dreading.

As he heard the movers come walking down the steps from the upstairs bedrooms, he was spared, however, from having to answer immediately as they were momentarily derailed from their discussion. Five minutes later, though, the four men had departed after receiving payment for their services, leaving the two men alone in relative quiet in the house; with all the bustling activity lately that had been taking place practically nonstop in preparing for their upcoming wedding, moments of relative peace were few and far between. Justin took the opportunity while Brian was busy with the movers to wander into the living room, where Brian had apparently built a fire a little earlier.

As Justin stood in deep thought in front of the flickering fireplace and watched the dancing flames, he waited nervously for Brian to join him; he really had NO idea how he was going to approach this topic, but the importance of it couldn't be stressed enough. He knew he really had nothing to be afraid of; he loved Brian and he knew Brian loved him. It's just not every day, however, that you have a need to talk about something like….._this._

"Justin?" he jumped a little at the sound of Brian's voice so close by; he hadn't even heard his partner come into the room behind him.

His reaction, however, wasn't lost on his lover, who shook his head in bewilderment. "Justin…." he began again, this time more firmly. "You and I have to have a talk, Sunshine." He tentatively reached out a hand to place it gently on his partner's slim shoulder from behind, and was startled to feel the other man's body shaking slightly.

Now not only confused but also quite concerned, Brian squeezed the shoulder briefly before asking, "Justin….what is _going _ON? You need to tell me…..NOW." _Now – before I imagine ALL sorts of things.…._

Justin licked his lips, trying to work up the courage to tell Brian _everything, _no matter HOW painful. He finally turned around to gaze into the worried eyes of his lover. He bit his lower lip pensively before taking a breath and saying softly, "Let's sit down."

Brian nodded mutely, too apprehensive at the moment to say anything even if he _wanted_ to. He could tell by Justin's face that _something_ was wrong; all kinds of scenarios, none very good, flashed through his mind as he simply nodded and followed his partner silently over to the leather couch. Justin had told him his strange behavior lately was related to his wedding present; why, then, did he look so nervous, almost _scared?_ He could have sworn his rapidly-beating heart could be heard over the crackling flames as he watched Justin sit down at the edge of the slick cushion, his hands in his lap and his head bowed as he faced him.

He held his breath while he anxiously waited for his partner to speak. He watched Justin take a deep breath, then finally raise his soft, blue eyes to gaze back at him, his brow creased in worry. He bit his lower lip as he fretted.

"Justin," Brian said softly; he thought his own heart would break at the look his partner was giving him. _What could be so terrible, Sunshine, that you look like THAT?_ He reached over to take his partner's soft, pale hand and grasp it firmly but tenderly; he was alarmed to feel the other man's hand actually trembling at his touch, but he was relieved that Justin curled his own fingers around his own hand in response. "Just fucking _tell_ me," he softly growled, becoming almost paranoid now at the thought of what could have upset his lover so much that he would be giving him that sort of look. "You're freaking me out here….Just SAY IT."

Justin took a deep breath; he stared into Brian's eyes for a few seconds longer before looking down at his pocket and reaching in with his free hand to retrieve the precious piece of paper that he had found not so longer ago – the paper that had been responsible for taking him on such an astounding journey through Brian's unknown past.

With a slightly shaking hand, he silently held the folded, wrinkled piece of paper out to the brunet, who, after a few seconds of puzzlement, reached out to take it from his partner's hand.

As Brian slowly unfolded the paper and studied it, Justin watched him intently; he noticed Brian's face register befuddlement as he studied the yellowing document. "Voluntary relinquishment," Brian read aloud from the form. "I don't get it…..What _is_ this?" He looked over at Justin, his brows narrowed in confusion. "And what does this have to do with US?"

Justin pursed his lips together tightly before replying, "I found it in a shoebox – up in your _mother's_ (he found himself stumbling on that word) bedroom closet; underneath a bunch of newspaper clippings." Now that he had finally begun to tell Brian the story, he found his words almost came tumbling out now. "I didn't want to throw anything away without looking at it first," he explained, "so I opened the box up and _this_ was in the bottom. I wasn't sure exactly what is was, but I was curious, so I called Carl and asked him if he could recommend someone – a private investigator – to check it out. I had my suspicions, but at the time I wasn't _sure." _

Brian tried to digest what Justin was trying to tell him as he peered down again at the somewhat fragile, yellowed document. _Voluntary Relinquishment_…He scanned the information rapidly for anything that might tell him more about who the person was who was being "relinquished." _Such a pretty word for such a terrible task_, he thought. Since the document was found in his mother's closet, he would have to assume the person being "relinquished" was either him or Claire….the document, while partially decaying, wasn't old enough to refer to his mother herself. As he continued to study the paper, however, the word "male" jumped out at him; the child in question, then, couldn't possibly be Claire after all.

He was almost afraid to voice the question aloud, but finally he managed to ask softly, "_What_ suspicions?" As he sat there with the paper in his hands, he found he couldn't take his eyes off the document as he waited for Justin to explain.

Justin whispered, "Brian…..this baby mentioned on this paper. It's _YOU_, Brian. YOU'RE the baby."

In a way, Brian already knew what Justin was going to say, but he had to hear it out loud to confirm it. "Are you _sure_? There's no birth date on here and not even a mother or father's _name_. How can you be so sure that it's ME?"

"I _wasn't_ sure at first, but since your _supposed mother_ had the paper hidden in her closet, and it listed a _male_ on the surrender certificate, it stood to reason that it was related to YOU. But I had to find out for sure, so I asked Carl if he could recommend a private investigator to check it out for me."

Brian stared at his partner, his head virtually spinning with this revelation. "You hired a _private investigator_?"

Justin nodded, not sure by Brian's tone if he was angry or not. But now that he had started, he couldn't stop NOW. It was time to lay all his cards out on the table, good OR bad. "Yeah….some guy named Darrell Lockwood. And Carl was right – the guy was good – he was able to tell me the mother's name within a week of hiring him, as well as verify that the birth date of the child matched YOUR birth date, so there was no question it had to be YOU."

Brian shook his head, his mouth hanging open in shock; of all the wild scenarios he had started to imagine, this would _NEVER_ have been one of them. "I don't _believe _this," he muttered as he nervously rubbed a hand through his hair.

Justin gave his partner a few seconds to digest all this information before he continued – there was no pulling back _now_. "He told me a 16-year-old girl by the name of Lydia Blackwell had given birth to you at Alleghany General Hospital and had signed you over for adoption shortly afterward. He was able to obtain that information from the birth certificate on file at the hospital; fortunately, you were the only baby boy born on that day there."

"Sixteen years old," Brian murmured, trying to understand what it must have felt like for someone so young to give birth to him. _Was she scared? Was she still in school then? What kind of relationship did she have with the baby's father? Were they still together? Where WAS she? And why did she have to give him up?_ He didn't even know where to start with his questions.

Justin must have realized what sort of questions were running through his partner's mind – after all, they were no doubt the same questions HE had wondered about as well. One question, though, was going to be extremely painful to answer; rather, TWO of them – where the mother was and where the father was.

"Brian," he began gently, reaching out to place one of his hands on Brian's arm as he tried somehow to soften the blow of what he was about to say. "Your mother…Lockwood told me your _real_ mother was _killed_ about ten years in a hit-and-run accident near New York City," he whispered.

Justin's eyes filled with tears as he noticed his partner's momentary flash of pain on his face when Brian closed his own eyes, trying to absorb this information. To have just found out he had a _real_ mother – maybe someone who would actually be proud of him and _love_ him, only to have it snatched away, was almost too much to bear. "I'm _so_ sorry, Brian." He bit his own lip as he tried to quell any tears from falling – this was _Brian's_ pain, and he had to be strong for HIM. "SO sorry."

Brian opened his eyes after a few seconds and not entirely to Justin's total surprise, actually _shrugged_. "I didn't know her anyway," Brian said curtly as he looked away toward the fire, trying to deal with his own thoughts. Justin knew what Brian was doing, though – his bravado was totally false, a façade. It was Brian's way of dealing with his pain; act like it didn't matter and move on, even though inside his heart was probably breaking into a million pieces. Justin, though, knew that Brian had changed from the person he used to be; over the years, he had learned to be more open and truthful about his feelings; that didn't mean, however, that he didn't occasionally revert back to his old ways of dealing with hurt, he just didn't do it very often any more. This, though, was not your typical _situation_.

"Brian….." Justin squeezed his partner's arm in a silent acknowledgement that it was all right for the other man to feel grief over this news. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be the ONLY bad news Justin would have to tell him tonight.

"It just wasn't meant to be," Brian said softly at last, as he finally turned his gaze to look at his partner and gave him a brief, sad smile. If anyone _else_ had seen him, they would have thought Brian really didn't give much of a damn, but Justin knew better. He could tell just by looking at Brian's face; his eyes, as usual, always told him everything he needed to know. Right now they were almost a sea-green color, large and expressive, as they stared back at him, almost to the depths of his soul. _Brian…..I'm right here, and I'm not going ANYWHERE…._Because he knew that wasn't going to be the end of his partner's pain tonight.

"There's more, Brian," Justin whispered quietly, staring into the eyes he knew so well.

"What? IS my real father an ax murderer of something? Because I've already had one shit hole father – I don't need _another one_." Brian looked down in his lap, somewhat afraid to know what _else_ he didn't know.

Justin twisted his lips wryly. _Actually, when you consider how stubborn his real father was being, he wasn't all that close from the mark_, he thought sarcastically…..

"No, as far as I know, he hasn't committed any crimes," Justin assured him. He hesitated continuing, though, because what he was about to tell him wasn't going to be very encouraging, to say the least.

Brian noticed his hesitation and it made him extremely jumpy; his heart was already pounding at his partner's initial, stunning revelation and now he was definitely prevaricating about _something else_. "What?" he growled out. "Just fucking tell me the rest of it, Justin. IS my real father in jail or something?"

Justin snorted a little. "Some people might _look_ at it that way," he said mysteriously. As Brian looked at him impatiently in bewilderment, Justin pressed forward. "Your real father is a state senator for Pennsylvania," he told the brunet. _There…..at least THAT part was out….. _

Brian's eyes widened at this piece of news. "A _state senator? _Are you shitting me?" That was the LAST thing he had expected Justin to say.

Justin raised his eyebrows in a sort of silent, "_No…..I'm not"_ look as he negatively shook his head. "No…..and if you see a picture of him, you'll know that he's _definitely _your father. He looks just like you."

Brian's pretense of not being curious about his real family was quickly swept away as he asked, "Who? Who is he?" He didn't even try to hide his interest _this_ time….a _senator_?

"You've probably heard of him – he represents District 12 for Cambria County, which includes Johnstown. His name is Fintan O'Connor – or Fin for short."

Brian shook his head in amazement; all this information was almost too much to process at once. He HAD heard of this man before – his name appeared frequently in news bulletins online and was even mentioned locally on occasion. But for the life of him, he couldn't recall ever seeing a _picture _of him. Not that he would have necessarily put two and two together, but if he DID look so much like him, surely he would have noticed the resemblance. But his _father_?

"How did you find this out?" Brian asked him, when he could regain his voice. "The detective?"

Justin shook his head. "No, actually I found out from your maternal grandparents," he said. "Lockwood didn't have access to that information, but he DID have the grandparents' name and address. They still live in Johnstown."

Brian was jolted as he realized what Justin was saying. "You _found out_ from them? You TALKED to them?"

Justin quickly rubbed his hand over his face, not sure what his partner's reaction was going to be to this piece of information. At least from HIS standpoint, the grandparents were the only positive part of this whole situation thus far. "Yes," he told Brian firmly. "I got their address and went to visit them a few days ago."

"You went to VISIT them?" he asked, incredulous. Now that he thought about it, everything was starting to make perfect sense. All of Justin's subterfuge and evasiveness began to crystallize in his mind – it explained a LOT now.

Justin nodded. "Yeah….they were able to tell me about your father, and they even showed me a picture. God, he looks so MUCH like you, Brian….even more so in person."

Justin grimaced as he realized what he had just said, hoping somehow he could take it back; he KNEW he had to tell Brian about his father, but he had hoped to ease into it. Now, however, it was too late for that…..

"You met my FATHER, too?" Brian asked, jumping in immediately and latching onto THAT astounding piece of information. It would see his partner had been extremely busy – no WONDER he was being so secretive lately…..

Justin nodded reluctantly as he blew out a lung full of tension. "Yeah, I did….I met him the other day in Harrisburg. I wasn't sure I could actually get in to see him, but I ran into someone who knew him and he helped me gain access." _KNEW HIM – if Brian only knew HOW he knew him….__Of course, he was going to have to tell him THAT, too…._

"I don't _believe this_, Justin!" Brian said as he stood up, perturbed as well as more than a little amazed by his partner's audacity. "You went to see my FATHER and my GRANDPARENTS without my _knowing about it?_" As he thought back over the past two weeks, it all made sense now. He just didn't exactly know what his partner had been doing, and he would have NEVER guessed THIS in a million years…..

Justin bit his lip and sighed. "Brian…..I guess it really sounds stupid as hell now, but when I found out, I wanted to check it out on my own to find out what your real family was like," he tried to explain. "I didn't want you getting hurt all over again – you'd been hurt enough by Joan and Jack. I wanted you to be happy and have the _real_ family you deserved," he added softly. "I wanted you to be happy….I'm sorry….I know now I should have told you from the beginning….."

Brian stared at his lover, astounded by the depths Justin would go to make him happy. "This was your _surprise wedding present to me_?" he asked in comprehension.

Justin nodded somberly. "Yes," he whispered simply.

Brian shook his head in amazement at what Justin had done for him. But Justin WAS totally wrong about one thing – he would have to correct that immediately. "Justin….Come over here," Brian said curtly in a soft, no-nonsense tone of voice as he stared at him by his position near the fireplace; in the quiet, the only sound presently heard was the continual crackling of the flames outlining the brunet's slim silhouette.

Justin apprehensively stared at Brian before he slowly rose from his seat on the couch and walked over to his fiancé, who, to his surprise, reached out and gently grasped his chin to turn his face upward toward his. "Sunshine…..Don't you _realize_ that I already HAVE a family that makes me happy? I have _you _and _Gus," _he said almost matter-of-factly, as if it were the most simple statement in the world. To him, it WAS.

Justin's eyes couldn't help filling with tears at Brian's tender declaration; he had been so worried that his fiancé would be furious, instead. "Brian…..I love you _so much_,"he whispered, heartfelt.

"And I _love YOU_, you stubborn, crazy twat," Brian replied gruffy, as he leaned down to give the other man a soft, slow kiss. As they finally broke apart, Brian grasped Justin's arms gently. "I have to admit, though, I AM curious about my father and my grandparents," he conceded, as he took Justin's hand and led him back over to the couch. "What are they _like_?" he asked inquisitively, as they both sat back down on the couch; Brian continued to hold his fiancé's hand, partially in reassurance he wasn't mad and partly to give Justin the courage to continue.

It seemed to have the desired effect as Justin took a deep breath and continued his amazing tale. "Your grandparents are named Kathy and Sean Blackwell – they're in their 70's and live in a brick ranch in Johnstown. Lydia was their only child….they had _tons_ of pictures of her that they let me borrow," Justin said excitedly, his voice rising as the words spilled out. "I have an entire photo album of her, Brian!" he exclaimed. "I'll have to show it to you….you have her eyes, I can certainly see a resemblance there. And they are very excited at the thought of _meeting _you, too! They know that I'm your fiancé and they know about Gus, and they're _okay_ with it! In fact," Justin said, a little nervous still at the thought of telling Brian about tomorrow, "They were so anxious to meet you and Gus, I told them they could come over tomorrow afternoon to meet both of you. I hope that's okay," he asked worriedly.

"_Tomorrow?_" Brian said, surprised. He knew when Justin had something on his mind, he didn't waste time…..

"Yeah…..I know it's short notice," Justin added quickly. "But they were SO anxious to meet both of you, and you'll like them, Brian…._really_," he told him earnestly. "Is that okay with you?" he repeated nervously.

Brian pondered that question for a few seconds before answering to Justin's great relief. "Why the fuck not? Gus might actually wind up with a decent set of grandparents for a change, instead of the asshole ones who made everyone believe THEY were my parents. My son deserved much better than THEM."

Justin smiled in relief, so glad that Brian was okay with meeting them. "They're great," Justin assured him. "And they've never had a grandson or a great-grandson; they can't wait to meet both of you. They're supposed to be here around 1:00 p.m.; they would have come tonight, but I told them that Gus and his two mothers wouldn't be getting here until later."

Brian nodded as a sudden thought occurred to him. "What about my _father_?" He still had a hard time accepting the idea that Jack Kinney hadn't been his real father at all, but his real father was some hotshot state senator. "Is he coming too?" He asked, trying to hide the hopefulness from seeping into his voice, but not being able to help it. At last, perhaps he would have a father that would accept him as he was and allow him and Gus to be a part of his life. Brian had long ago given up on that hope, but now a flicker of optimism wound its way into his heart as he waited for Justin to respond. His hope, however, began to slowly wither away as he noticed the crushed look on Justin's beautiful face. "Justin?" he asked softly.

Justin averted his eyes in sorrow. After having to tell Brian that his mother was dead, THIS was maybe the worst part of all. "No, Brian," he told his partner regretfully as he turned back to face him. "He isn't coming."

Brian considered the possibility that a senator was bound to have an extremely busy schedule. "He's going to come out later?" he asked hopefully, his eyebrows rising in question.

Justin sighed, seeing no point in candy-coating the truth. "No…he's not coming at _all_, Brian. It's kind of complicated," he said, struggling to explain. "You might have read where his name has been thrown out as a candidate for Governor this year." As Brian nodded his confirmation – it was hard NOT to hear about the man who had virtually controlled the state senate for years – Justin painfully continued with the news he had been dreading.

"Like I said, I went to see him a few days ago. I ran into someone who knew him and helped me get through to see him." As Brian looked over at him silently, he took a deep breath before continuing. "It turns out that Tony Cassinelli, the man I ran into, knew him even better than I thought – he's the senator's _partner_."

Brian eyes widened in shock. "You mean _PARTNER partner_?"

Justin smirked. "You got it. It seems the good senator and Tony have been together secretly for about ten years now….only no one else_ knows_ about it, especially the party machinery that would be largely responsible for helping to get him elected as Governor."

Brian frowned. "But my mother….."

Justin nodded in understanding. "Well, apparently at the time your father didn't realize which way he_ swung_, so to speak. He insists that he was only with your mother one time without protection, even though they had a relationship for several months when they were both sophomores together in high school. Your father, though, was a likely candidate for a football scholarship, and your mother didn't want to jeopardize that, so she went away to Pittsburgh to have her baby. The senator was none the wiser, and didn't even know she was _pregnant._ You might say that my news to him was a major shock, to put it mildly," he said, finding it impossible to completely keep the bitterness out of his voice at the man's rejection of his son.

Brian frowned. "But I don't _understand_, Justin. I mean, I can kind of identify with it taking him a while to figure out for sure that he's gay, but why wouldn't he want to meet me and Gus, then?" he asked, his voice tinged with just a little amount of hurt over his father rejecting meeting with him. "If anyone should understand my situation, HE should."

Justin sighed; he knew that was going to be hard, and from Brian's look on his face, he had been correct. "That's just it, Brian," he said softly. "The man's under some grandiose delusion that he can do more good as a closet fag as Governor than he can if he came out of the closet and admitted it. He thinks if he admitted who he really was that it would destroy any hopes of him being elected Governor. And he seems to think that once he becomes Governor, everyone will just look the other way when he starts pushing through all kinds of gay rights legislation."

He shook his head. "I tried to tell him he was deluding himself – that once it _does_ come out in the open – and you KNOW it will happen eventually – the fact that he lied to everyone to begin with will destroy whatever goals he has of passing gay rights laws. But he STILL doesn't get it, even though both Tony and I tried to drum that into him." He glanced over affectionately at his _own_ version of the senator. "You're both _stubborn as hell_, you know that?"

He sobered somewhat when he added more softly, "I'm just sorry, Brian…..sorry that the man doesn't realize what he's giving up and what he's missing. You know, Tony even moved out of their house and into a hotel room over this. For what it's worth, he thinks he's_ dead wrong_ too."

Brian shook his head slightly, discouraged over this piece of news. It was all so much to take in – finding out he was adopted, then finding out his real mother was dead, but he had a set of grandparents anxious to meet him. The most disheartening part of all, though, was that he actually had a father who was also gay but for that very reason, didn't want to acknowledge him OR his son. _Well, fuck it_….he didn't NEED the man, anyway.

He stood up as Justin watched, concerned. Several seconds seemed to go by as Brian tried to digest all this unbelievable information. Finally, making a decision, he turned and reached out his hand to his partner, who walked over to him and clasped it firmly.

Brian pursed his lips together as a fire arose in his eyes. "You _know _what, Sunshine? Fuck it – fuck HIM. I've got a set of grandparents coming here tomorrow who WANT to meet me, and I have a son arriving tonight who stil needs to be TOLD about them. I don't have TIME to worry about a queer father who's afraid to admit who – and WHAT – he is. And you know what _else_? I HAVE all the family I need – screw him. HE'S the one missing out," he said with conviction.

Justin caressed his partner's hand idly as he gazed into his eyes; his other hand came up to gently brush his knuckles against Brian's face as the brunet leaned into his touch. "You're _right_," he agreed finally. "We BOTH have all that we need – we've got Gus and we have _each OTHER. _That's all we need – all we've EVER needed." Justin realized at that moment that he had already found what he had been trying to find for Brian – it was right in front of their faces. The Blackwells would be a welcome addition to their family, but they weren't a necessity.

Brian smiled at Justin tenderly; just when he thought he couldn't love this man anymore, he was amazed to find that he _could_; he had no idea how his heart found the additional room, but his fiancé continued to astound him every day. He was looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together to find out just what _else_ his incredible partner would show him.

He pulled Justin into his arms and wrapped his limbs around the slender frame he knew so well. "You're fucking _amazing_, Sunshine," he murmured softly as he rocked them together in front of the fire; the flames were slowing dying down, but he knew their love never _would_.


	13. Brian Meets Sean and Kathy

_Britin – Late Friday Evening_

Lindsey shook her head as her mouth hung open in shock. "I still don't believe it," she stated flatly as she continued to stare down at the slightly frayed document she was holding in her lap. "I mean, I see it here in black and white, I see all the photos, I know the grandparents are coming tomorrow….still, the whole thing's unbelievable."

Justin, seated across from her on the couch, nodded in understanding. "I know…. Sometimes I think I'm just asleep and dreaming all this up. When I agreed to help Michael clean out her house, I never in a million years thought I would stumble onto something like _this_."

She shook her head, stunned. "I…..I really don't know WHAT to say. This is the most incredible thing I've ever heard. What time are his grandparents coming out tomorrow?

"About 1," Justin told her. They had been sitting in the living room for the past 30 minutes while Brian was tending to his son upstairs in his newly-furnished bedroom. It had been after 11:00 p.m. when the two women and Gus had arrived in their rental car; the little boy had conked out in the back seat shortly after they had begun their car ride from Pittsburgh and hadn't awakened even as they had carried him into the house.

Their conversation was temporarily halted as Mel walked into the living room carrying a tray with four mugs on it. Handing one mug of decaffeinated coffee to Lindsey and Justin, who nodded their thanks, she sat the tray down on the coffee table currently holding the newly-acquired photo album of Brian's family pictures and the newspaper clipping with Brian's father in it. She picked up the piece of paper and stared at it. "Well, there's certainly no doubt that this Senator O'Connor is Brian's father," she observed, shaking her head in amazement at the remarkable, uncanny resemblance between father and son.

"I've read all kinds of information about the Senator, but I've never seen a picture of him," she observed. "Absolutely incredible! In fact, when my former law firm represented a client in front of the state supreme court, we were probably one block away from the state capitol building. If I had run into this guy, I would have probably needed an ambulance after I fainted dead away."

Justin grinned as he looked upside down at the photo Mel was currently studying – it was a photo taken of Fin O'Connor apparently at some political fundraiser. He was standing next to a gray-haired, distinguished-looking man, shaking hands. The man was impeccably dressed as always in an expensive-looking, custom tailored suit that molded to every angular part of his lean body.

No matter how many times Justin saw the man – either in person or in a clipping such as this one – he was overwhelmed by the physical similarities. It was a shame they didn't share some _other_ similarities as well, such as Brian's openness about his sexuality and his closeness with his own son…...

"I just wish I could have talked him into meeting Brian," he murmured regretfully. "I tried…..I _really_ did. Even his own _partner_ did. The man just wouldn't budge – I guess that's one other trait he shares with his son – they're both stubborn as hell."

At least Brian, though, didn't ignore his own son and refuse to share his life with him. And at least his partner wasn't ashamed or afraid to let others know how he really is. Of course, due in large part to the couple who everyone thought were his parents, it took him a long time to be as open with his feelings as he is now. Maybe, somehow then, it still wasn't too late for Brian's _father_, either. He just didn't know how to change the man's mind, though.

"Isn't there anything else you can do, Sweetie?" Lindsey asked him. She knew how hard it had been for her friend to grow up with Jack and Joan Kinney; the thought that Brian could finally have the family he deserved but was once again being rebuffed filled her with both sadness and anger. When would it be _Brian's_ turn for some happiness? Was that really a fair question, though, in light of Justin and Gus? At the very least, that did make the situation more tolerable; in a way, Brian WAS already happy with his newly-formed family.

She knew how deeply Brian loved both Justin and Gus, but there was just something about having your parents and grandparents around to share your past with and reminiscence with, and share a common bond of history with. Why anyone wouldn't want this sort of connection with her friend was unfathomable to her.

Justin shook his head. "I've tried about every angle I can think of," he told the two women as he sighed sadly. "The man still seems to think his political career is more important than having a family. Tony, his partner, told me even HE'S moved out, at least temporarily, until he and the Senator can decide what they're going to do about their OWN relationship."

"It's just a damn shame," Lindsey couldn't help commenting. "The man's going to feel awfully lonely sitting in that big Governor's mansion alone."

"Well, he'll still have his _principles_ to keep him warm," Mel retorted sarcastically. She and Brian had never really had what anyone would ever call a warm relationship by _any_ means, but she still couldn't help thinking his father was an idiot. "You know what, though? If the man is THAT insistent on being a self-righteous hermit the rest of his life, so be it. My son's better off without him, then."

"Hear, hear, counselor," they heard coming from the doorway as Brian clapped slowly. He was standing there listening in on the melodrama known as his family's life as he leaned against the wooden frame; his son had roused a little once he had been placed in his new bed, and he had had to stay with him, soothing his fears away, until the little boy finally fell asleep with his Buzz Lightyear nightlight on nearby and the door kept ajar. He had quietly walked down the steps just in time to overhear the last several seconds of Justin's conversation with the two women. He never WOULD care particularly for Mel's irascible, sometimes overbearing personality, but in this regard, he actually _agreed_ with her; if his father insisted on staying away from him and Gus to protect his precious political ambitions, then he didn't want anything to do with him anyway.

"Brian…" Justin glanced over at his partner in concern. He knew Brian was trying to put as nonchalant a spin on the situation as he could, but deep down he _also_ knew how much his partner was hurting over the fact that his father was snubbing him.

As Brian walked into the room, he and his fiancé shared a warm glance at each other as Brian smiled wistfully and slowly moved to sit down beside him. Justin reached over to take the warm, familiar hand of the brunet, who curled his fingers around Justin's in a casual embrace.

"Gus okay?" Lindsey asked him softly, the previous focus of their conversation temporarily pushed aside.

"Yeah," Brian confirmed, nodding. "He woke up for a few minutes while I was putting him into bed, and I had to stay with him until he fell asleep. I guess he was uncomfortable being in a new bed and all. He fell back asleep, though, after I read to him for a while. I kept the door cracked in case he needed us."

Justin smiled tenderly at his fiancé; the man had become so devoted and loving where his son was concerned; not only his son, in fact, but toward HIM as well. The Brian he knew before would have never been that way, but over the last few years he had grown so much, into such a wonderful man. It just made the whole situation with Brian's OWN father that much more unfortunate and unfair.

He felt Brian squeezing his hand, trying in his own way to bring him back to the present. Justin gave him a sheepish smile as he squeezed back in response briefly before he released Brian's hand and placed his hand casually, instead, on Brian's thigh in a sign of comfort as well as reassurance.

A somewhat awkward silence followed for a couple of minutes until Lindsey yawned. "Excuse me," she said, covering her mouth embarrassed. "We've been up since 4 a.m.," she explained. She turned toward her partner to say, "I guess we'd better get some sleep, too."

Brian nodded his understanding. "I've placed your bags back in the same room you stayed in last time," he told the two women. "Let me or Justin know if you need anything. You go ahead," he added. He tried to smile reassuring at Lindsey as the two women rose to leave, but found he couldn't quite pull it off. Despite what he had been telling everyone, the fact that his biological father didn't want to meet him or Gus still hurt like hell. He had been trying to focus, instead, on what he DID have – his wonderful, loving partner who was his soul mate, and his incredible son who made him laugh at life's simple pleasures and made him realize every day how lucky he was in so many ways, but still...it _hurt_.

He tamped down a lump in his throat that had suddenly reared in response to his sorrowful thoughts but ignored it as he turned, instead, to look lovingly at Justin. For probably the thousandth time, he tried to figure out how he had gotten so lucky to snag this passionate, sweet, and tender man's heart. What Justin had been willing to do for him, and his wish not to hurt him, meant more to him than Justin would ever know. He made a silent promise to himself, however, that he would spend the rest of his life never taking his OWN partner for granted and being afraid or ashamed to tell everyone _else_ how he felt about him.

"You okay?" Justin asked him softly; his thumb softly caressed Brian's jean-clad thigh in a small, circular motion as the soft, blue eyes stared at his partner expressively.

Brian reached over to gently rub Justin's cheek with the back of his hand. His heart swelled with love for this man as he confirmed softly, "As long as we're together, I'll _always_ be okay."

Justin blinked back tears of both joy and sadness for his fiancé – joy over Brian's tender words of love, and sadness over his own failure to provide Brian with the ultimate wedding gift – the chance to get to know his real father.

"Stop that," Brian told him softly

Justin started; had he just said that last thought _aloud_? He knew he hadn't, but it was almost like Brian had read his mind. "Stop _what_?" he asked.

"Stop beating yourself up over what you don't have control over," the brunet replied. He studied his fiancé carefully. Justin had prepared a wonderful buffet meal for their visitors earlier and had insisted on cleaning it up by himself afterward. It was obvious now by Justin's somewhat haggard-looking face and his slightly-stooped shoulders that his meal preparation and clean-up earlier, plus the late hour, was beginning to wear on him as well.

"What do you say WE hit the sack, too, Sunshine?" he asked. "You look pretty tired yourself. I promise I'll actually let you _sleep_ in bed for a change," he teased. Despite his father's refusal to meet him and Gus, they still had a pretty exciting day ahead of them when his grandparents arrived. He was looking forward to meeting them more than he had even told _Justin_ he was. At last he would get to meet a real part of his own family as well as find out more about his biological mother.

Justin smiled back at his lover. "Yeah, I guess I AM pretty tired," he admitted.

"Well, don't expect me to sweep you off your feet and _carry_ you up the steps, Sunshine," Brian quipped. "This isn't Tara, and I'm _defnitely_ not Rhett Butler. Although, I STILL say the man was actually _gay_…..if not him, definitely those two red-headed twits that always pursued Scarlett at the barbecue."

Justin chuckled softly at Brian's attempt at levity. "I think I have just enough energy left to trudge up the steps by myself, don't worry," he said lightly as Brian stood up and reached his hand down to pull Justin up alongside him. As he grasped his partner's hand and they walked slowly up the gleaming, hardwood steps together, Justin couldn't help thinking, _you've ALREADY swept me off my feet, anyway….._

As they lay in bed together a few minutes later, the soft feel of the thick, feather duvet lightly caressed their naked bodies as Brian wrapped his bare arm possessively around his partner's slim waist and pulled him closer to his own torso; as Justin nuzzled his head into the other man's chest, the brunet could feel the light, regular breathing of his lover as it started to sooth his worries and heartache away.

He thought Justin was asleep and slowly closed his eyes, only to hear his fiancé whisper his name. "Brian? You still awake?"

Brian snorted softly. "Yeah….I am _now_….thanks to you, you little twat," he said gruffly. "I thought you were asleep already." His arm lightly rubbed against Justin's bare back as he felt the blond shiver a little. "Cold?" he asked; his voice muffled somewhat by his partner's head which he was cradling at the moment. "Or just horny?"

Brian felt a small smack on his chest as he laughed softly. "I'm _always _horny for you, _Mr. Stud_." He turned his head slightly upward to gaze into his partner's twinkling hazel eyes, the windows of Brian's soul, they say. All he knew was that he would never get tired of looking at them, especially when he was gazing back at him the way he was now. The intense but almost tender look he was receiving always made his heart beat just a little faster, even after all this time…..

"I was just thinking…"

Brian smiled down at his partner. "Uh, oh….always a bad sign."

Justin took his hand off Brian's chest with the intention of giving him another indignant smack but Brian was too fast for him; he quickly grabbed the errant hand and brought both of them gently back down on his chest. "You're supposed to be getting some sleep, _Socrates_…..but I can see you won't do it until I hear you out." He sighed softly in resignation. "What, Justin?" he asked tenderly.

"Nothing, really…..I was just thinking about your comment about Scarlett and the barbecue." As Brian raised his eyebrows in puzzlement and looked down into his face, Justin explained. "Maybe we could have a barbecue tomorrow afternoon for your grandparents. Gus would love it." Gus was such a fan of picnic fare, especially hot dogs and potato salad. Of course, a barbecue would _also_ have to include brownies as far as Gus was concerned. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a TRUE picnic…..

"Can we have those little mint juleps, too, Scarlet?" Brian asked in a pronounced southern accent. "And pe-can pie?"

"Go on, make fun," Justin, reaching up to nip at Brian's chin with his teeth. "I think it'd be a good idea," he insisted. "We just bought that new grill and haven't really had a good chance to use it. What do you think?"

Brian smiled patronizingly as he rolled his eyes. "I think you need to get some _sleep_," he stated. Before his partner could open his mouth to protest, however, he effectively silenced Justin's complaints with a deep, sound kiss. As they broke apart several seconds later, he murmured, "And I think it's a good idea," he stated grudgingly. "Now GO TO SLEEP."

Justin smirked, satisfied he had gotten his way. "Yes, Rhett….going to sleep now," he confirmed, just before his eyelashes fluttered closed in welcome rest.

As Brian tightened his hold around Justin's back and felt the warm, soft, familiar skin of his partner nestled in his arms, he couldn't help smiling at last. Not seeing his real father still hurt, but thanks to this incredible man lying here in his bed, it definitely didn't hurt quite as much…..

_

* * *

_

Saturday Morning – Early Dawn – Harrisburg

Fin O'Connor stood in front of the back picture window of his and Tony's house, thankful that there were no trespassers at this early morning hour staring back at him. Even though he and Tony had recently installed a comprehensive security system for the house as well as the grounds, he still halfway expected some very resourceful media types to manage somehow to permeate their wall of secrecy anyway. The sophisticated system they had employed, however, seemed to be doing its job as he stared out into the early-morning dawn. The sun hadn't quite come over the horizon, and the backyard was currently bathed in fascinating hues of gold, red, and orange.

Normally this time of day, Tony would still be in bed; Fin had always been the early riser from years ago when he first had to do it in college, and the habit had stuck. Even when he didn't _have_ to get up early, he still did, and without the use of an alarm, even though he always set it out of habit just in case….

He sighed as he realized his partner may still be asleep, but he wouldn't be able this time to personally wake him up the way he normally did. Most mornings he would usually make their coffee and, holding a strong, black mug in his hand afterward, he would slowly walk into their bedroom with a standard greeting of "It's the best part of getting UP," before placing the mug next to their bed on the nightstand and waking his slowly-arising partner up with a sound kiss.

How he longed right now to hear his lover's voice and see his smile once more. The past two days had been hell, and he had tossed and turned fitfully the entire time. Not for the first instance, he wondered once again just what he was hoping to accomplish with his obstinate refusal to meet his son and acknowledge the wonderful, incredible man he had been fortunate to have in his life the past ten years. Was the hope to obtain a possible dream worth all he was giving up? He stood there in deep thought for several minutes before, letting out a deep breath, he slowly turned around and headed back toward the bedroom to get dressed .

_

* * *

_

Ritz Hotel – Downtown Harrisburg – Same Time

Tony stared down into his lukewarm coffee mug as he sat in the hotel's restaurant. He had no idea what possessed him to get up so early today – after all, it was a Saturday, and while he still had numerous briefs to review for several cases he was currently working on, at the moment he had no ambition whatsoever to take a look at them. He had tossed and turned all night, finally deciding with an exasperated sigh to get up, shower, and get dressed rather than just lie in bed, staring once more at the ceiling.

He still felt he had done the right thing by not backing down about Fin's refusal to see his son or acknowledge their own relationship, but righteousness still made for a very cold bedfellow. And despite his wish to get his partner to see the error of his ways, the simple truth was he stilled loved the man and missed him terribly. He missed bouncing ideas off him at night in front of the fire, and talking politics in bed after they had made love. But most of all, he missed feeling his partner's arms around him and hearing his melodious, passionate baritone voice that always held just the hint of a southern drawl in it and made his body tingle with desire.

_Fin….Why do you have to be so damned STUBBORN? _he lamented mournfully as he stared at his drink. He shook his head in disgust, wondering how things had gotten so screwed up in such a short amount of time. If Justin hadn't showed up when he did, chances are they would have continued just the way they always had – Tony lurking in the background, out of sight, while Fin soaked up the spotlight and kept everyone else oblivious to their true relationship.

But would he have been _happy_ with that arrangement? No, he hadn't been truly happy for a long time, and he knew why. He wanted to be able to openly show his affection for his partner, and to stand by his side, not behind him in his shadow. And once Fin became governor – and all indications pointed in that direction – it would have only gotten worse. No, he didn't like what he had had to do one bit, but he still felt like he had done the right thing.

The sudden, unexpected ringing of his cell phone jarred him from his contemplation. Flipping it open after a couple of rings, his heart skipped a beat as he recognized the number. He took a deep breath before answering softly, "This is a surprise."

"That makes _two_ of us….I didn't think you'd be awake this time of day; I expected to have to leave a message."

"Well, you _could_ say my normal schedule's been shot to hell lately…..what do you want?" His voice came out a little curt and clipped, but he couldn't help it.

There was a slight hesitation on the other end before he heard the voice say softly, "We need to talk."

_

* * *

_

Saturday Afternoon – 12:30 – Britin

"How's it looking, Sonny Boy?" Brian asked his son as he flipped over one of the hot dogs. "Am I cooking it right?" Brian really didn't know shit about using a barbeque – God knows his "fake" father, Jack Kinney, had never engaged in anything remotely resembling a father-son outing or a family celebration, but he had seen Debbie and Michael use these contraptions enough to have some idea how to use it.

At least the new grill he and Justin had bought a few weeks ago was gas-powered; he hadn't relished the idea of trying to use charcoal in a grill – too messy and too difficult to get going properly. He much preferred the _fire-em-up the first time _sort of grill.

He waved some smoke away from his face disgustedly as the dozen hot dogs and hamburger patties continued to cook. At least the burger he would be eating was a turkey burger; just the thought of ingesting so much artery-clogging gruel made him almost sick to his stomach. He knew, though, how much both Justin and Gus enjoyed the real thing, so for them – as well as his grandparents, who should be arriving shortly – he had decided to make the sacrifice and offer them "real" meat.

"Looks good, Daddy," Gus reassured him, smiling, as he stood on a small, plastic step stool to see how his father was doing; the grill was just slightly too tall for his little boy to adequately observe his cooking attempt otherwise. Brian smiled as he reached over to place a quick kiss on his son's soft cheek. "I'm glad it meets with your approval, Buddy," he told his son tenderly, who beamed at the attention.

As he walked out with a large bowl of potato salad, Justin had to smile at the loving interaction taking place between father and son. It filled him at once with both pleasure as well as sadness; joy that Brian and Gus were so close to each other, and sadness that his partner never had the same chance to experience this sort of camaraderie with his _own_ father.

"Gus?" he called out to the little boy. "Want to help your mommies bring out the brownies?" Gus quickly jumped down from his stool with a resounding "yeah!" as he ran back into the house through the sliding glass-doors.

Justin laughed as he placed the potato salad down nearby and walked over to his partner, who currently had his back to him tending the grill. "Well, that's one kid who has his priorities on straight," he remarked as he placed a hand on Brian's shoulder and planted a small kiss on Brian's cheek.

"That's my boy," Brian quipped. "Thinks with his stomach instead of his brain…..kind of like someone _else_ I know – sure you two aren't related somehow by _blood_, Sunshine?" he teased, receiving a stuck-out tongue in reply as the mature response.

Brian added, "Speaking of related – what time is it?" The closer it was getting to 1:00, the more nervous he found himself becoming. Normally pretty much nothing ever fazed him, but this was NOT a normal occurrence; he was about to meet the maternal grandparents he never knew he had, and he was nervous as hell for some reason.

As if sensing his feeling, Justin whispered in his ear, "It's about quarter of…..nervous?"

Brian thought about responding with a grunt of "of course not," but he knew Justin would see right through that statement. Instead, in the long run, he simply opted for the truth. "Yeah….a little," he admitted softly as he turned his head and gave his partner a slightly anxious smile.

"Well, you have _nothing_ to worry about, Brian," Justin assured him as he wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist from behind and whispered into his shoulder. "They are _so_ excited at the chance to meet you and Gus….they were really looking forward to it - you'll see. It'll be great."

Brian nodded silently. His heart was beating rapidly in nervousness at the thought he was about to meet his mother's parents. Silently, as he turned around and gave his partner a hug, he prayed that Justin was right, because his heart just couldn't take another rejection right now from his family.

_

* * *

_

12:45 p.m.

"_Turn right approximately one quarter mile onto Leighton Road_," the mechanical female voice instructed form the GPS system mounted on the dashboard.

"We're almost _there!_" Kathy Blackwell excitedly said to her husband. She cradled a cardboard box holding a fragile, flowered cloth-covered photo album and some plastic DVD holders on her lap. During his visit, she had let Justin borrow one of their other photo albums that contained several pictures of their daughter – Brian's mother – but she knew they had many other mementos of their daughter's life somewhere in the house.

After Lydia had been tragically killed, it had been so painful to look at her photos and other remembrances of her life that Kathy had pleaded with her husband to put it away somewhere where she couldn't see it – just the sight of her daughter in her plays, dressed up for school dances, and being with her during the holidays was just too much for her to bear. So her husband had reluctantly acquiesced to his wife's wishes and placed precious tokens of their daughter's life up in the attic, where they had remained nestled hidden inside an old steamer trunk until a few days ago. That was when a polite, mature, and surprisingly well-spoken young man had visited them and forever changed their lives.

Now they were less than a mile from meeting the grandson and great-grandson they never knew they had, but now so desperately wanted to see. "There!" Kathy pointed, her voice rising in eagerness at the number plate on a large, rather imposing stone gate. "That's it!"

Sean smiled at his wife's excitement as he turned right up the long, paved drive and drove several hundred feet before coming to a stop in front of an enormous, Tudor-style brown brick _mansion_. That was the only adequate word for this edifice, because it was _huge_. The façade, trailing vines flowing profusely, was professionally landscaped with well-pruned evergreens and large, mature shade trees.

"Wow," Sean murmured as he drunk in the sight of the impressive structure. "This is unbelievable," he exclaimed as he turned in his seat to look at his wife. "I would say our grandson must be some type of advertising genius, all right." Justin had filled them in on Brian's company and his talent in advertising, but that still hadn't prepared them for THIS. The mansion in front of them would have accomodated at least FOUR copies of their small, brick ranch inside quite easily.

"Wow is right," Kathy stated, her voice filled with awe at the massive home staring at them. "Maybe we should have left an hour earlier," she said, reaching over to open her door with the handle. "It might take us an extra hour just to get our grandson to find his way to the _front_ _door_," she joked, as she smiled over at her husband with just a hint of nervousness.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, dear," Sean told his wife, twisting his mouth in amusement at his wife's sudden change in demeanor. His wife's previous boisterous excitement over meeting their grandson was quickly quieted by the massive structure currently looming over them. "Let's get out and find out, shall we?" he asked, grinning. As he opened his door and stepped out, he thought perhaps she was right – the house was the largest estate he had ever seen – maybe it WOULD take their grandson that long to reach the door and answer it.

Kathy curled her fingers around the photo album resting inside a small cardboard box and rose to join her husband by the car. She took a small, soft breath before Sean placed his arm around her shoulder and they slowly walked toward the imposing, hardwood door. They shared a look of nervousness before Sean raised his free hand and lifted the heavy, iron knocker to rap it against the surface three times.

Sean gripped his wife's shoulder firmly as they waited in silence; only the sound of nearby birds and their uneven, nervous breathing could be heard until finally, a few seconds later, they could hear the sound of footsteps walking closer to the entrance. A short moment later, they heard the door being unlocked and it was swung open, revealing a familiar figure.

"Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell," Justin greeted them with a wide smile. "It's good to see you again," he told them warmly. "Come on in." He stepped back several inches to allow them to enter before closing the door back firmly. "This way," he told them as he began to lead them inside the impressive foyer. They stopped after a few feet, however, to gaze in wonder at the expensive, wooden interior of the home. The home was furnished with traditional, massive pieces mixing leather with antique tapestries, with several landscapes and family portraits adorning several of the walls.

Kathy instantly walked toward one candid work featuring a man and a little boy she now recognized fully. "This is Brian and Gus," she told her husband as Justin nodded, smiling. She turned to the blond to ask, "Did you paint all of these?"

Justin nodded, still just a little humble when it came to acknowledging his talent, even after all the success he had attained.

"This is wonderful," she told Justin, who smiled shyly.

"Thanks," he simply said to her. "It's one of Brian's favorites," he added. "By the way, everyone's out back," he explained, deciding they were probably wondering where their grandson and Gus were. "We thought you might enjoy a barbecue, and Gus loves hot dogs," he added, grinning. "I just happened to come in for the mustard and heard you knocking on the door."

"We know we're a little early," Kathy replied somewhat apologetically. "We were just so anxious to meet Brian and Gus, though," she explained.

Justin smiled. "No need to apologize," he hastily assured her. "I'm just glad you're here – I can't wait for you to meet Brian and Gus." He was so grateful that at least Brian's grandparents were happy – and excited – to meet him. It meant a great deal to _both_ of them, especially in light of Fin's reaction. He quickly brushed that sad thought aside, though, as he added, "Let me take you out back so you can meet them." He noticed Kathy was holding a small box in her hands. "Can I take that for you?" he asked, curious to know what she had. He was hoping it might be more information about Brian's mother, but he didn't want to pry.

"No, it's okay," Kathy told him politely. She didn't know why, but for now she just felt a need to take care of it personally. She wanted to make sure that some of the last parts of her daughter were handed down to her son.

Justin nodded his understanding. "No problem," he assured her, even though he was dying to know what she had brought – it HAD to have something to do with their daughter, and he couldn't wait to see exactly what it was. "This way," he told them, turning toward the right to lead them through the stainless steel, modern kitchen and the double, French doors that led to the outside.

As they approached the glass doors, Justin could see Brian with his back to them, still concentrating on the grill's contents; he smiled as he noticed Brian still trying, mainly unsuccessfully, to keep the smoke from blowing back into his face.

"Fucking inferno," Briian muttered, mainly to himself. As he heard the doors sliding back, he called out to his partner as he began to turn around, "Sunshine? How about grabbing me a pa…" The rest of the sentence, however, died on his lips as he observed an older couple standing next to his partner, gaping at him.

Even though he had never met them in person, Brian instantly knew who they were from the multitude of photos Justin had shown him in the photo album. Now that he was finally looking at them in person, however, his heart began to pound. They were actually _here_ – his grandparents. His REAL grandparents. They really did want to know him, just like Justin had promised….

"Daddy? When is my hot dog going to be ready?" Brian finally tore his gaze away from his grandparents to look down into the curious eyes of his son, who was tugging gently on his shirt for attention.

He smiled tenderly at the little boy before answering softly, "Just a few more minutes, Sonny Boy. Why don't you go get a plate from your mommy and have it ready for me, okay?"

Gus yelled out an excited, "Yay!" before turning and running toward a couple of lawn chairs placed near the pool, where his two mothers were currently relaxing.

Brian stood there as his son scurried off, unable to tear his gaze away from the people who were at once both instantly familiar but still strangers to him. They were both wearing casual, yet tasteful clothing – the man, tall and distinguished with dark, graying hair wore a pair of beige, linen pants and a navy-blue polo shirt. The woman, petite and also dark-haired, was wearing a two-piece red pants suit and was holding a small box in her hands. He watched intently as they both smiled slightly back at him, almost shyly, and he couldn't help placing a similar expression on his own face as Justin nodded at the couple and they slowly approached him. With her implicit approval, Justin reached for the box Kathy was holding and placed it gently down on a nearby glass-topped table before turning to address his fiancé.

"Brian?" Justin said softly as they finally stood in front of him. "This is Kathy and Sean Blackwell…your grandparents." He watched closely as the three stood somewhat awkwardly together, facing each other – this trio who had suddenly become a makeshift family, at least by blood. Only time would tell, though, if their relationship would evolve into what Justin hoped it would – a true, loving bond, the kind that he, Brian, and Gus _already_ shared.

A few seconds of discomfort prevailed until Kathy finally smiled warmly and reached to pull Brian into a hug. She wrapped her small, wrinkled hands around her grandson's waist as she murmured into his chest. "We are so glad to finally meet you, Brian. You have no idea."

Brian hesitated for just a couple of seconds before he responded by mimicking her actions, gently placing his hands around her back. It wasn't a gregarious movement – just a whisper of a caress to someone unfamiliar – but it was a start, and for a man who had never been shown the love he deserved growing up – it was a monumental step in Justin's opinion. He met his fiancé's gaze as Brian glanced up to see him and couldn't help smiling as a few unshed tears unexpectedly rose in his eyes.

They embraced for a few seconds longer until breaking off; Kathy, however, reached up to brush a few locks of auburn hair from her grandson and murmured, "I can see your mother in you, Brian."

Brian curled his lips under, the normally self-assured advertising executive inexplicably shy around this tiny, petite woman. He really didn't know where to start with this conversation, but he knew he definitely wanted to know more. "How?" he asked quietly.

She smiled back at him. "Same nose, same eyes…..especially the _eyes_. I have no idea really where Lydia got the eye color she did – Sean and I am both blue-eyed. But somewhere down the line we must have had a hazel-eyed relative in the family, because she had the most amazing green-colored eyes. I'd never seen quite the same color since…..until _now_." She pursed her lips together in an attempt to keep the tears of happiness from appearing in her eyes, but she couldn't help it. Seeing her grandson was simply too much like seeing their daughter alive again, and she was filled with emotion.

"Now, Kathy….." Sean tenderly rebutted. "Don't go getting all sentimental on us," he tenderly pressed as he reached down to give his wife a kiss on the cheek. "You'll to forgive her, Brian….she gets all emotional at times. Of course, I can't really say I blame her at the moment, though, I guess." He reached over to firmly grasp Brian's hand as Brian returned the gesture and smiled.

"That's okay, Mr. Blackwell. I know someone a lot like that myself." He turned to gaze at his fiancé, who had the same exact look on his face as well. Justin blushed as he realized who Brian was talking about; he knew, though, that he didn't have an adequate rebuttal to that statement, because it was true – when his partner was concerned, he could often times dissolve into a big puddle of mush….

"Please…..call us Sean and Kathy," Brian's grandfather replied. He and Kathy had discussed on the way out to Britin what to encourage Brian to call them – somehow _grandpa _and _grandma_ didn't quite seem right for a grown adult who didn't even know them, and _Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell_ seemed far too formal. They had settled, then, on urging Brian to address them by their first names.

Brian nodded. "Sean," he said simply as he smiled back at him in agreement.

Brian was about to ask his grandparents if they had had any problems finding Britin when a small, brown-haired blur came rushing up and latched onto his jeans leg. "Here's my plate, Daddy!" Gus exclaimed, holding out a styrofoam plate as if he were waiting for a treat to be deposited momentarily.

Brian smirked. "Hold on there, Sonny Boy….Daddy's not ready just yet." As Melanie and Lindsey came walking up to join the rest of the party, Brian reached down and scooped his son up into his arms to face the two visitors. "Sean…Kathy…This little whirling dervish is my son, Gus," he said proudly as he smiled down at the little boy, who had one hand crooked around his father's neck for balance.

Kathy couldn't help smiling at the picture in front of her – even though they had just met Brian, it was obvious from the look on his face that he adored his little boy. "How do you _do, _Gus?" she asked him, speaking to him as if he were a miniature little man as she held out her hand to shake his. "We're SO glad to meet you." The little boy, not sure quite what to make of the older couple staring back so intently at him, instantly buried his head nervously into his father's chest.

Brian chuckled softly. "He's not usually shy," he assured them. "Especially when food's involved." He leaned down to whisper in his son's ear. "It's okay, Buddy…..These are your _great grandparents_. Can't you say hello to them?" Gus slowly turned his head to stare back at them in curiosity, but it was no use…..he was too nervous around these two people he had never seen before. He once again turned his face back into the safety of his father's chest in an attempt to hide.

Justin observed the whole scene with amusement as well as gratitude, but it was tinged with just a bit of melancholy as well. He was so thankful that Brian's grandparents had turned out to be such decent people, but again, he was struck by how much better it could be with his partner's _father_ present, too. Why couldn't Fin see what was right in front of his face and realize what was most important? Everyone _else_ seemed to, including the man's partner. What was _wrong_ with the man?

He turned his thoughts back to the present as Brian introduced Melanie and Lindsey to his grandparents. _Grandparents….._ He wondered if that word seemed as strange to Brian as it did to him. He never thought he would see the day when Brian could introduce _anyone_ with that title, but now look. Here he was, a witness to that very event. Maybe, just maybe, that gave him hope that one day in the future he would be a witness to another event like this one involving Brian's _father_, too.

"Gus? Do you like to go fishing?" He heard Sean ask his great grandson. He had to give them credit, they were trying hard to win Gus over, and Brian's grandfather may have just hit on the magic word, because Gus all of a sudden turned his head interestedly to look at him, his eyes lit up with the possibility. Justin smiled as he watched the little boy smile shyly and nod.

"He _loves_ to go fishing back home," Lindsey verified to them, smiling. "He's even caught a couple of fish, right, honey?" she asked, as Gus vigorously shook his head in confirmation.

"You _never_ told me that, Sonny Boy!" Brian exclaimed. "You did? Were they BIG fish?" As his son nodded and smiled, the dam was apparently broken as he began to tell them just how big the fish _was_. Of course, the size of his fish was at least two feet long, by his estimation.

Sean chuckled. "That's BIG fish, Gus!" he told the little boy. "You must be a good fisherman!" The little boy beamed as Sean continued, "I've got a nice motorboat down by the lake – would you and your dad like to come fishing with me on my boat some time and show me how to catch the _big_ fish?"

Gus immediately turned to his dad, who still held him in his arms and asked, "Can we, Daddy? Can we go _tomorrow_?" he asked eagerly. "I've never _been_ on a boat before!"

Brian laughed. "That might be a little too soon, Gus….."

"No, no…I'd LOVE it," Sean assured him, shaking his head as he smiled. He had always wanted a little boy to tag along and go fishing with him. Now it seemed he was going to get the chance, and he was in heaven. Not only would he get to take this wonderful little boy fishing now, he would also get a chance to get to know Lydia's child even better. "That is, if you're not busy…" he asked a little hesitantly. After all, he and his wife had just met their new-found family; he didn't want to come across as too pushy or too imposing, but both he and Kathy felt like they had been given a gift from God and were anxious to make up for lost time.

Brian looked over at Mel and Lindsey. "If it's okay with his two moms…." Lindsey and Mel looked at each other for a few seconds before smiling and nodding their approval. "I think I'd _like _that," Brian answered softly, curling his lips together almost shyly. "I've never been fishing, either," he admitted.

Kathy swallowed a lump in her throat at the almost regretful tone in her grandson's voice. She wondered what _else_ he had never done during his childhood. From everything Justin had told them, Brian had been treated horribly as a child by his adoptive parents, and even as an adult. For a few moments, she silently mourned the child that never was before deciding to put the past behind them and concentrating on _what_ could be changed, instead.

"If you have time," she said tentatively, "I'd like you and Gus to come by the house before you go fishing and I'll pack you all a nice lunch to take with you. Trust me, Sean will whisk you off to some forgotten cove where you definitely will NOT have access to real food – that is, unless you catch a fish and manage to roast it over a wooden fire."

Sean rolled his eyes. "Come on, Kathy," he chided his wife softly. "I'm not THAT bad….I usually bring some snack bars with me or something."

Kathy smiled indulgently. "I rest my case," she said, laughing. "Trust me – it's for your own good."

Brian smiled. "Thank you," he said simply. "We'd like that, wouldn't we, Gus?" His son beamed and shook his head vigorously in agreement before Brian gently lowered him to the ground.

"Speaking of lunch," Brian told his company. "I think the chef is about to open up the grill. What'll be, ladies and gentlemen?"

As Gus boisterously named his choice for a hot dog, Brian happily stabbed a hot dog and placed it in a nearby bun to give to his son. For the next several minutes, he contently served as master chef as he distributed hot dogs and hamburgers to his guests.

Several minutes later, the group had filled up the rest of their plates with potato salad, baked beans, and corn on the cob. Seated at the nearby round, glass-topped umbrella tables, they enjoyed their meal in relative, companionable silence, occasionally punctuated by small snippets of polite conversation regarding the weather and sports teams.

Seated in between Brian and his grandparents, Justin noticed that no one seemed to be willing to bring up anything political in their attempts at polite conversation; it was as if no one wanted to take the chance that a certain Senator's name would be said aloud, but the topic was still like a silent elephant in the room. Brian's father's refusal to be at this reunion was a glaring sign of disappointment to everyone present.

As Justin eventually rose to gather up the garbage, cups, and utensils, as well as collect the unfinished food to be stored in the kitchen, Lindsey stood up from her nearby table. "Here…..let me and Mel do that, Justin," he told their friend. "You stay and entertain your guests," she insisted. She felt it was important that Justin be included in Brian's reunion with his grandparents; to her, he was as much a part of Brian's family as his biological family was.

"You sure?" Justin asked uncertainly, not wanting to saddle their company with household chores.

"We're sure," Mel told him firmly, as she picked up the mainly empty bowl of potato salad and a couple of glasses. "You stay put – we'll take care of it." Justin smiled in appreciation as the two women set to work cleaning up and walked back into the house; at the moment, Gus was happily still chowing down on a couple of brownies left from dessert.

"That was wonderful, Brian," Kathy told her grandson, smiling. She was so happy that the day had finally arrived to meet their grandson; ever since Justin had told them the astounding news, she and Sean couldn't wait for their reunion with Lydia's child. As she sat there comfortably in a thick-tufted chair, she could hardly still believe it. But the more she looked at Brian, the more she knew it _was_ – every elegant movement, every smile, every twinkle in the hazel eyes that were so like her daughter's, all of it told her that it was, indeed, real.

Thinking of her daughter suddenly reminded her of the box she had brought with her. "Brian….We have some things to show you," she said, looking over at her husband wistfully. This was such a happy occasion for both of them, but it was also tinged with bittersweet memories of the daughter they had lost so long ago. As Brian looked over at her curiously, she explained. "We brought some more photo albums of when your mother was a little girl. And we found some old 8mm movie reels we had converted into DVDs for you to keep."

Justin looked at his fiancé, who was close to tears at their thoughtfulness. He reached over and squeezed his partner's hand reassuringly as Brian softly responded, "Thank you. I can't wait to see them." He hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "Can you stay for a while and show them to me? I'd like to learn more about her."

Justin's heart almost broke at the plaintive, almost longing sound in Brian's voice for a mother he would never have the chance to know. But thanks to her parents, though, his partner might at least get a glimpse into what it might have been like.

Sean smiled at his wife as Kathy said, "We'd like that – very much. We'd like to tell you all about her, Brian – she was a _wonderful_ person."

Brian nodded silently as he tried to compose himself. Thoughts of what might have been couldn't help rising to the surface. As he looked over at Justin, however, who was still holding his hand, he realized he couldn't change what had happened. But he still had so much to look forward to – not only did he have a set of grandparents he didn't even know he had and a wonderful son, but more importantly, he had a man he loved deeply and who loved him. He smiled gratefully at his partner; squeezing his hand, he released it to stand up.

"Let's go inside and I'll show you where the DVD player is," he told them. He reached once more to take Justin's hand, and slowly the two led Sean and Kathy into the back of the house.

_

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Britin – Five O'Clock

Brian stood next to his grandparents' car, holding Gus in his arms once more. He knew he would be seeing Sean and Kathy tomorrow when he and Gus went fishing with his grandfather, but for some odd reason he was reluctant to see them leave. Now that he had finally met the grandparents he didn't even know he had, he had found them to be warm, engaging and loving – certainly the total antithesis of his so-called parents. He knew it was ridiculous, but as he watched Kathy open her car door to prepare to leave, he had this paranoid fear that for some reason he would never see them again.

His heart warmed, however, as Sean asked, "Now don't forget – you have to get up early to get the good fish, right, Gus?" he asked his grandson, who nodded heartily in agreement. "6:00?"

Justin, who was standing nearby, couldn't help grinning. If they had met Brian even as much as a _year_ ago, his partner would have hardly been HOME before 6:00, let alone home and in bed in time to get UP by 6:00. He marveled at how so much had changed in that time, however, as Brian confirmed the early meeting and stood back slightly to allow his grandparents to enter their vehicle for departure.

As Sean sat down in the driver's seat and closed the door, he reached his hand out the open window to shake Brian's hand. "I'm so glad we found you, Brian," he said warmly. "I'm looking forward to making up for lost time, so be warned – we plan on making enormous pests of ourselves from now on."

As Brian returned his handshake, his gripped the other man's hand longer than needed before releasing it and saying, "You're welcome here anytime, Sean…both of you. We'll be counting on regular visits from now on." Brian had never really been one to celebrate family holidays, but thoughts of spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with these two people did not seem odd at all – in fact, he was surprised to realize he was actually _anticipating_ it.

"Brian?" Kathy asked her grandson, motioning for him to come over to her side of the car. Brian placed his son gently down on the ground and walked around to stand in front of her side as she crooked her finger for him to come closer.

As he leaned his head down, she reached up through the open window and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'll have your lunch all ready tomorrow," she told him, smiling. "And, by the way, I'll tell Sean to have you home in time for dinner. I make a mean meatloaf." She glanced over at Brian's partner, who was smiling happily at their interaction. "And you come, too, young man," she lectured Justin.

Justin chuckled. "Thank you, but I'll actually be in Pittsburgh with Mel and Lindsey – they're wanting to visit all their friends to say hello. We'll plan on it some other time…..okay?"

She nodded. "Don't forget…..If it wasn't for YOU, we wouldn't have even KNOWN about our grandson."

Justin nodded. "I won't," he assured her. "Thanks."

"No, Justin…Thank YOU," Kathy told him, her eyes wet with tears of gratitude for this unexpected but precious gift. As Sean started the car, Brian stood nearby as it slowly crept down the driveway; both stuck their hands out the window to give their grandson a wave. Brian returned the wave readily, as did Gus, as the car finally turned out of the drive and out of sight.

As Gus skipped back toward the front door, thoughts of tomorrow's exciting fishing expedition swirling in his mind, Justin and Brian were finally left alone. Brian for once was at a loss for words. So many thoughts and emotions were whirling in his head that he didn't even know where to start.

Justin raised his eyebrows in a silent question before Brian twisted his mouth fondly and pulled him into his arms for a tight embrace. They remained locked together for several seconds, only the sound of the wind and the birds breaking the silence, until Brian finally pulled back slightly to peer into the expressive blue eyes of his very own personal detective.

"I think that went well," Justin told him softly. "Don't you?" He had so hoped that Brian's reunion with his grandparents would turn out positively, and from all indications it had.

Brian shook his head at the understatement. "Sunshine….. What you did for me…..no one has ever done anything like that. You gave me a wedding present that I could have never hoped to have." He smiled tenderly at his fiancé. "I don't really know what to say…except that I love you so fucking much, more and more every day. You never cease to amaze me."

Justin smiled through his tears. "Brian…..I would do _anything_ for you, don't you know that? Whatever it takes to me you happy. When you're happy, I'M happy," he said simply.

Brian shook his head in amazement at this incredible man. "YOU make me happy, Justin Taylor," he responded as he bent down to give his partner a deep, passionate kiss. As they broke apart several seconds later, Brian whispered huskily, "Come back into the house and I'll SHOW you how much."


	14. A Life Changing Decision

**_A/N: This one's a little shorter than my "usual" 7,000+ word mini-novel chapters - LOL! But it's a good stopping point for the next chapter. This one's mainly Fin and Tony, but I think you'll like where it's heading at the end. I have a feeling everyone's going to be waiting for Chapter 15! Thanks as always for the continuing support and reviews!_**

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_Harrisburg, PA – Early Afternoon, Same Day_

Tony couldn't help frowning as he approached his and Fin's residence; as usual, there was a sea of television and press media camped out front by the iron gates, just waiting for the latest scintillating news regarding the man who was most likely to be Pennsylvania's next governor. He shook his head as he slowed his car and angrily honked his horn at two photographers in an attempt to get past them.

Thankfully, Mario, his partner's security guard, was posted nearby and, recognizing Tony in his customary disguise of a dark-haired wig, navy blue baseball cap, sunglasses, and beige, zip-up jacket, waved him through as he opened the gate briefly to let him pass and the photographers frantically flashed their cameras at him in a vain attempt to figure out just who he was. He was thankful at least that due to using one of Fin's cars, no one would be able to trace his identity through the license plate.

Thinking how utterly ridiculous it was that he had to go through all this subterfuge just to enter his own fucking house, he sighed as he neared the house and pressed the remote control on his car's visor to slow the vehicle and enter the three-door garage, hastily taking off the ridiculous disguise once safely ensconced inside the facility.

As he turned the car off and closed the door behind him, he sat in the relative silence of the garage as he tried to collect his thoughts. His partner's unexpected call this morning had taken him by surprise. It wasn't that he thought they would proceed now without ever speaking to each other – both of them still loved each other, despite what had happened recently – but somehow Tony thought his lover's voice sounded different somehow, almost _painful_. He had tried to ascertain just what that meant during their call, but Fin had remained cryptic and tight-lipped, merely telling him they "needed to talk."

He sat there for several seconds hashing over what had happened in the last couple of weeks, while he hoped that something _else _hadn't happened. He really didn't see what had changed from the _last_ time they had seen each other – from what he could tell, there had been no flashes of epiphany, no changes in Fin's political ambitions – if anything, if you could gauge his partner's motives by the news accounts lately, Fin was poised to announce his intentions to run any day now; it was pretty much a foregone conclusion in everyone's opinion.

Yes, his partner appeared to be as stubborn and determined as ever, but Tony, for once, was sticking to his convictions about no longer wanting to just stay in the background like some dutiful, little housewife. That still didn't erase his intense feelings for his partner, though, and something – whether it was blind hope, wishful thinking, or just plain stupidity – made him return to the house the two of them had shared for so long, the house that was full of so many memories, most of them admittedly happy ones. _Well, here I am, Fin…..the next move is yours, my love…_He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before releasing the breath he had been holding and, grabbing the handle, opened the door and stepped out.

Putting his key into the lock, he slowly turned the doorknob to open the entrance leading from the garage into their kitchen. The house was awash in bright sunlight as usual from the large bay window over the double sinks – one of the features that Tony had fallen in love with as soon as he and Fin had seen it – and everything appeared as it normally did. The room was neat and tidy, Spartan by most observers' accounts, with only a bowl of fresh fruit lying on the center, granite island. _It's a shame our OWN relationship isn't so "tidy" right now, _he couldn't help thinking_….._

He had to smile a little, though, as he noticed a fresh package of chocolate chip cookies lying by the refrigerator from the gourmet bakery that Fin loved to visit downtown; the politician had been there so many times over the past few years that as soon as he opened the door, the owner immediately went over to the case and brought him back a freshly-baked dozen of them before he could utter a word. He knew that as much as Fin hated to indulge in high-carb foods, he always seemed to gravitate to these particular treats when he was stressed out. Their present situation certainly would qualify, he thought ruefully.

As he placed his key ring down on the counter, he placed his jacket over a nearby barstool and went in search of his partner. He could hear some jazz music wafting lazily through the speakers tastefully hidden throughout the house, and Fin's Jaguar had been parked in the garage, so he knew his partner was somewhere. "Fin?" he called out softly, but there was no response. A quick perusal of the living room, study, and their bedroom was unsuccessful; that left only two real possibilities for where his partner could be.

He quickly descended the carpeted staircase to the downstairs, finished lower level that held their exercise equipment and home offices. Normally, after Fin indulged in his calorie-laden cookies, he felt guilty afterward and escaped to the treadmill to try and work it off; of course, he normally used the same excuse later to fuck his brains out in their king-sized bed. As Tony thought about the _last_ time Fin had had several of his favorite snack, and what the man had done to "work it off" THAT time, he felt his face flush. Even now, after all this time, the man's passion in their bed made him feel like the most special man on earth. _What had happened to us, Fin?_ He thought sorrowfully. _How had everything changed so suddenly?_ Was it THAT sudden, however? Or did he just realize the truth too late?

He shook his head in an attempt to divert his melancholy thoughts; he needed to find Fin first, to find out just what he needed to talk about. Turning to go back up the steps, he headed to the only other place he could think of where his partner might be – the stables.

As much as Tony had fallen in love with the sun-washed rooms of the house, Fin had simply been enthralled by the stables behind the house; ever since he had been a young boy and had visited his uncle's horse farm in Kentucky during the summer, his partner had been entranced by the Arabian stallions that had been raised there. Fin's eyes would light up as he told Tony about how riding the horses had made him feel free and had lifted his spirits when he was sad or lonely. Often, his parents, who were in the military, had been forced to send him to his uncle's for the summer when they had been assigned to conduct maneuvers for the Army, or attend training camp.

Fin had found a peaceful solace in spending time at the stables, grooming the horses' manes until they shone and tending to their feeding or even cleaning out their stalls; he was rewarded by his grateful uncle with the opportunity to ride several of them frequently during his visits and had become quite an adept horseman over the years. He had loved feeling the wind in his face as galloped over the several acres of woods behind his uncle's farm. Now, whenever his partner was involved in a high-stakes negotiation at the Senate, or feeling pressured by too many lobbyists trying to pull him in several different directions, he could always be found at their stables, performing much the same tasks he had done as a little boy.

It only made sense to Tony, then, that Fin would be at the stables; if anything qualified as a stressful situation, their fractured relationship and the recent discovery of an unknown son _certainly_ did.

He slid the French glass doors back at the rear of the house and emerged onto the cement patio near the pool; not spotting his partner lounging nearby, he walked around the water toward the rear of the property that held an historic, red wooden barn and a fenced paddock area. As he approached the side door where the stables were located, he could hear his partner humming an old Irish tune he had been taught as a little child; Tony had no idea what the title was, but he had heard it frequently enough over the years that he recognized it immediately.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Fin actually had a surprisingly good singing voice. Normally, though, Tony only got to hear it either in the shower when Fin was in a particularly good mood or after his partner had had a few too many drinks at home. Fin was extremely cautious about imbibing too much at social gatherings, always having to be ever vigilant about his political career, ambitions and reputation.

As he rounded the corner and caught sight of his partner at last, his eyes filled with nostalgic tears as he heard the almost sorrowful baritone of his lover's voice as he crooned the song next to his favorite stallion, _Willful_, while he brushed his chestnut mane carefully.

At the time they had purchased the proud, majestic horse at a thoroughbred action in Hershey, Tony had thought the name was the most absurd one he had ever heard for a horse, but Fin had insisted the name fit, telling him facetiously that he had named the stubborn, independent horse after HIM. He snorted – if the name had been borrowed from _anyone's_ personality, it had been Fin, not him.

He saw his partner look up, a little startled, as his stepped on a twig and it snapped in half. Fin's initial wariness, not surprising given his prominent stature in the political world, was quickly replaced, however, by a look that made Tony's breath hitch slightly as the brunet saw who it was. For the man's face looking back at him wasn't filled with righteous determination that he was doing the right thing this time, it wasn't consumed with angry resentment over Tony not looking at the "bigger picture," as he often called it lately; no, the man currently staring back at him looked _different _somehow; it was a look that Tony was seldom accustomed to seeing on this intelligent, wildly-successful man. His partner looked relieved to see him, but also what? Anxious? Almost shy, unsure even?

Fin was dressed casually in a pair of expensive blue jeans, a long-sleeved, button-down, black denim shirt, and a pair of everyday, Gucci loafers; as he rose and wiped his hands on his pants to smile tenderly at his partner, Tony still thought the man was the sexiest, handsomest man he had ever seen. Of course, he had _always_ thought that; it was just now, after being separated from him for a couple of days, he simply realized how terribly he had missed him as well.

"Tony," Fin murmured emotionally as he slowly walked toward his lover. "I wasn't sure you would come."

Tony walked over to his partner and smirked at him. "Fin – I wasn't out of the country – just downtown."

Fin huffed quietly. "You _know_ what I mean, you asshole," he said gruffly, although there was no sting in his voice.

"Yeah…..I know," Tony said softly. The two stared at each other rather awkwardly for a few seconds, unsure of just what to do, before Tony reached over and, resting his hands lightly on Fin's upper arms, gave his lover a kiss on the cheek. It wasn't their standard greeting when they alone – after all, both were very tactile lovers and very passionate about their feelings for each other – but for now, it was all Tony had the heart to do.

He started to remove his hands from Fin's shoulders, but his lover reached to grab them before he could. "Fin….." he began tentatively as he tried half-heartedly to break away.

"No, Tony, listen to me…..please." Fin's steel gray eyes bored into his blue ones as he stared at the man he had known intimately for the past ten years.

"What's left to say, Fin?" his lover asked him wearily; he could feel himself wavering slightly as he felt the soft, warm flesh of his partner while he caressed the top of his hands, but he wasn't going to back down from his demands. He had spent too many years in the darkness, behind the blinding spotlight that Fin had always cast, to shrink back into obscurity now. He was a successful, intelligent, and yes, attractive man in his own right, and it was time that he made a life for himself – with or without Fin. It would hurt tremendously, but he had to do it, before he lost sight of his own identity.

"We've already discussed this, Fin," he said softly. "Over and over and over again. Nothing's changed," he added sorrowfully, shaking his head. He gently but firmly removed his hands from his lover's and turned his back to stare out onto the pasture behind the stables where two of their other horses were currently grazing. The idyllic scenery he was currently staring at belied the churning emotions swirling around inside him as he sighed in regret for the tangled mess they had somehow found themselves enmeshed in.

"Tony….." he heard his partner softly call out to him from a few feet behind.

The blond turned around to face his lover once more, his eyes flashing with pained exasperation. "Just why DID you call me this morning, Fin? What am I DOING here? Huh? It's only been TWO DAYS – what could have happened since _then_?"

"You'd be surprised how much thinking you can do in 48 hours alone," he partner whispered, his voice full of emotion. "You _do_ realize the impossible situation I've been placed in, don't you?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the light-blue ones he knew and loved so well. He had to somehow make his partner understand….

Tony shook his head angrily. "Fin…..I am NOT going to rehash this all OVER again! You've been very clear – you have to do what you have to do; and I have to do what _I_ have to do. I don't see a compromise here, Fin. I wish I did, but I don't." He rubbed his left hand over the hair on his forehead, his other hand on his hip defiantly as he shook his head mournfully. In a way it almost _did_ feel like a funeral – the death of their relationship.

"I've already said what I needed to say to you before, Fin," he said more softly now, his anger quickly fading to be replaced more with a sort of melancholy resignation; there was no point in postponing the inevitability any longer.

"I'll arrange to have what I need shipped down to the Ritz by the beginning of next week," he said with a choked voice, hardly believing what was coming out of his mouth. He had been with Fin for so long, he could have never imagined living without him; now, it seemed he was going to have to learn to be by himself once again.

His eyes began to fill with tears over his loss as he turned to go before he said something else he might regret; even now, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his partner even more.

He stopped, however, when he heard the steel in the brunet's voice as he said, "YOU may have said what you needed to say, _Mr. Cassinelli_, but I HAVEN'T."

As Tony sighed, he slowly turned around to observe his partner's look of determination. _Did they really need to go through this all over again?_

Fin slowly advanced until he was a few feet away from the blond and put his hands on his hips. "What I didn't get a chance to say before you so _rudely_ interrupted me, _Mr. Cassinelli_, is that I had a chance to do a lot of thinking over the past 48 hours." As Tony stared at him silently, he continued softly, "And what I came to realize….What I came to realize is that it's pretty damned lonely standing on my lofty principles when my partner isn't standing up there with me."

Tony frowned; that was the LAST thing he expected to hear from this self-assured, politically-driven man he knew so intimately; did he really hear what he could have sworn his partner had just said? And could it possibly mean what he thought it meant? He had to be absolutely sure.

"Fin?" he whispered helplessly, holding his hands out in confusion. "I'm afraid you're going to have to spell out what you're trying to say to me here – I'm getting tired of reading between the lines lately, and anticipating what you're going to do."

Fin smirked and let out a bemused huff. "Spoken like a true attorney."

"Damn it, Fin! Just fucking come out and SAY it!" Tony's blue eyes flashed with annoyance and irritation at his partner's atypical vagueness; normally Fin was a man who always said what he meant, concisely and succinctly with as few words as possible. _The man picks NOW to be so obtuse?_

His partner smirked. "You always were one to not beat around the bush with me, weren't you? I suppose that's one reason why I couldn't avoid being attracted to you – after being around politicians all the time, you were like a breath of fresh air." He smiled tenderly at the fiery, indignant man currently staring back at him.

Tony huffed out an impatient breath at his partner's enjoyment at his expense; he couldn't help the flush that appeared on his cheeks, though, at the intense stare he was receiving from the sexy brunet. "Fin…" he almost pleaded now, biting his lip tensely, wanting for the man to hopefully end his misery and tell him what he wanted, no, _needed_, to so desperately hear from him. Until that moment, he hadn't really realized just how much the need had been.

Fin actually chuckled softly at his partner's reaction; if Tony didn't know better, he would say the brunet was _prolonging_ his agony intentionally.

"Just forget it," Tony sharply barked out in disgust, as he began to turn around to leave. At least he was making the _pretense_ of leaving. _If you're going to stop me, n__ow's the time, you damned, insufferable man….._He waited for what seemed like an agonizingly long time until he breathed an inward sigh of relief as he felt a strong, familiar hand reach out and firmly grab his bicep.

He turned around with a look of smugness on his face as Fin rolled his eyes at him. "Damn fucker," the senator growled softly as Tony merely raised one eyebrow innocently as if to say, _Don't blame me _- y_ou MADE me do it….._

Fin sighed in defeat as Tony merely stood there; it was obvious this was going to be one of those rare times when Fin was going to have to _grovel_, and he always HATED that. But he was hoping the end result would be well worth it…

"Okay, Blondie, you win…What I'm _trying_ to say to you, you fucking, arrogant asshole, is that I LOVE you and I can't imagine my life without you. And if that means I have to climb Mount Everest or even _Capitol Hill_ to announce it – either figuratively or literally – I'm prepared to do that."

Tony stood there, immobile, still stunned that he was at last hearing what he had wanted to hear for so long actually coming from his partner's lips. "Does that mean…?"

Fin curled his lips under in acknowledgement. "Yes, _Counselor_…what it means is that I will be calling a press conference Monday morning to formally announce my candidacy for the governor's position next year. And I expect YOU to be standing next to me when I _do_."

"Fin…" He HAD to ask – to make sure his partner's intentions were crystal clear. He had too much on the line now – his whole heart and his life – not to be sure.

Fin held up one hand before he could utter the words, however, anticipating his next question; after all, they hadn't been together for ten years now without being able to almost reach each other's minds. "Yes, yes," he confirmed clearly as he reached his hand down to clasp the other man's. "I will openly acknowledge our relationship at the same time – AND let the chips– or in _my_ case, my political career possibly – fall where they may."

He twisted his mouth and shook his head as Tony's eyes lit up with euphoria. "The things one does for love," he said melodramatically as he snorted. He smiled, though, as Tony beamed back at him radiantly, his blue eyes shining with happiness and just a touch of incredulity. At that moment, he knew for sure that he was doing the right thing, because without this man, nothing else mattered.

He frowned, though, as he immediately noticed just a tinge of doubt in his lover's eyes. "What?" he said softly. "I _mean_ it, Tony…..really. You'll see."

But Tony shook his head and explained. "Are you _sure_ you'll be able to live with this decision, Fin? You know this could be political suicide for you." If Fin wound up being soundly defeated for the governor's position next year, he knew it would be because of him, because of his insistence that his lover come forward with the truth. He knew, too, how much this meant to Fin; was it fair to ask him to jeopardize what he had fought for for so long?

"Tony," Fin said firmly, placing both of his hands on either shoulder and squeezing the tender flesh. "Listen to me. You know me well enough by now to know that I don't do anything I don't _want_ to do. I may be pigheaded at times," he raised his eyebrows and twisted his mouth at his partner's _who….you?_ look. "But I'm also an intelligent man, if I do say so myself. It may take me a while to figure out where I'm going, but once I buy the ticket I don't ask for a refund."

Tony snorted. "You are the most exasperating person at times!" he exclaimed reproachfully. But his biting comment was not as scathing as it could have been, because he was quickly becoming convinced that Fin really _did _want to do this.

Fin laughed at his partner's look of disgust; Tony couldn't help grinning back at him eventually in return.

"Yes, Tony," he said softly. "I'm sure. VERY sure. Because as much as I want to be Governor, I want us to be together even _more_. If you can put up with me, that is….."

Tony smiled. "Well...as an attorney – and a damned good one at that – I've weighed all the evidence, Senator, and I can't help but come to one definitive conclusion. I _can_….."

Fin smiled broadly in relief, breathing out a huff of breath he had been anxiously holding.

"Well then, Counselor. Shall we shake on it?"

Tony smiled coyly, shamelessly flirting while he batted his long lashes and winked at the other man as his eyes sparkled in mischief. "Oh, I think we can do better than that," he said as Fin laughed and swooped down for a deep, lingering kiss. As they began their sweet, familiar dance together at last, _Willful_ gazed at them curiously from his stall as they slowly lowered themselves to the straw-laden ground and _sealed their deal_.

_

* * *

_

Thirty minutes later

Tony reached over and plucked a couple strands of straw from his partner's dark hair before placing his hand back on Fin's chest. "Well…..haven't had that much fun _riding_ in the stables in a _long time_….." he told the other man huskily. He sighed in contentment as he heard his partner chuckle softly.

"Yeah….me too," Fin whispered as he reached to place a tender kiss on the blond's head. "Just like riding a bike, though," he joked as Tony slapped him playfully and snorted.

"Fin?"

The brunet could readily hear the touch of uncertainly in his partner's voice as he peered down into a pair of soft blue eyes. "What, baby?" he asked softly. "You're _still_ not worried about my decision, are you?"

The other smiled back at him reassuringly. "No," he answered. "You've MORE than convinced me. But I was thinking….what about your _son_? How does this affect _him_?"

"What do you mean exactly?"

"What are going to do about _him_? I mean, if you're going to be open about your being gay now, don't you think you need to acknowledge him as well? I know how long you've wanted a family – here's your chance, Fin….."

The brunet stared at his lover for a few seconds before squeezing his pale shoulder and possessively hugging the smaller body against his; he could feel both of their burgeoning arousals beginning to flare again to his delicious realization. He would have to remedy that situation very shortly; however, first he had to address one _more _concern….

"I'm been thinking about that," he said as Tony stared back at him curiously. "You know how much I always enjoy taking rides in the country?" he said. "Haven't had a chance to do that very much lately. I think it's about time we indulge in one of my favorite pastimes – tomorrow, maybe? I've always wanted to see more of West Virginia."

Fin's heart leapt at the look of absolute joy on his partner's face as he replied, "So have I," Tony murmured before he leaned up to bestow another passionate kiss on the older man's lips. As they broke apart breathlessly several seconds later, the blond whispered, "But in the meantime, can we engage in _another_ one of our favorite pastimes?"


	15. Preparing for the Father and Son Reunion

_**A/N: Here is the next installment - I have to be straight with you, though - the long-awaited reunion of father and son won't be in this chapter after all (ducking under cover once more - LOL!). I thought it would be, but this chapter is now at 11,000+ words - probably the longest chapter I've ever written - so I will have to place it in the next chapter - sorry! Please keep those reviews coming, though - I love it and it might make me come out from under my desk a little sooner...!**_

* * *

_Sunday Morning – 3:30 am._

As Brian sipped from a large travel mug of coffee and leaned against the dining room table, he watched astounded as his son ran around the kitchen with his sippy cup of orange juice as if it were the middle of the day. He wondered for at least the tenth time this morning what in the world possessed him to agree to go fishing with his son and grandfather at 6:00 a.m.

Of course, at the time Sean had suggested it, he wasn't thinking about the drive time between Britin and his grandparents' house. After Sean and Kathy had left, however, he found out from Justin that it wasn't just a hop, skip and a jump away. Not only that, it wasn't even a straight trip down the freeway.

By the time he found out it would take approximately 2 ½ hours just to get there, he found himself in too deep to back out. If he had tried to change their plans, he felt sure that both Gus and his grandparents would have throttled him, at least figuratively speaking. Now, as he watched his rambunctious son run around the room like some indefatigable ball of energy, Brian could only shake his head in bewilderment and hope that enough caffeine would keep him awake until he could catch up on his sleep later.

He had to smile, though, as Gus whirled around the room in delight; his son's happiness and anticipation were contagious. He had to admit – despite the ungodly early hour, he was looking forward to spending time with his newly-found grandfather and his son. Since Gus had moved to Canada with his moms, he never seemed to have adequate time to see him, and somewhat to his surprise, he found that he truly missed being with him. And now that he had met Sean and Kathy, he found himself looking forward to learning about them, too, along with his mother.

He sobered a little as he thought about her. How he wished he had had the chance to get to know her, grow up with her, and learn from her, just like he was trying to do with Gus. If he _had_, maybe things would have turned out differently. Perhaps he would have learned earlier just what it meant to love and care for someone. Maybe he wouldn't have spent five years avoiding saying those monumental, three little words that Justin had longed to hear for so long. And maybe, just maybe, he would have had a whole different perspective on things in general.

But now it was too late to go backward; he could only move ahead. He could at least make an attempt to be a part of his grandparents' lives, even if his own _father_ didn't want that same chance. He made a pretense of it not mattering to everyone who had asked him; after all, he still had Gus and Justin, and now his grandparents. He also had Mikey and the rest of his unorthodox "family."

But deep down, he still couldn't help feeling like one of his limbs had been cut off, or he had not only lived through the death of his mother, but his father as well. Before he knew about the man, it didn't matter because he was blissfully ignorant. But now even as he thought about how deeply he loved Justin – and he _did_, with all his heart – and about the son he adored, his father's rebuke still stung like a slap to his soul.

"Daddy? It is time to go?" He looked down at his son who stood next to him and smiled, his heart warming at the innocent, excited look on Gus' face. Since his son had been invited to go fishing yesterday afternoon, he doubted if the little boy had slept much at all; he had babbled on and on about today's trip until bedtime, and Lindsay had informed him the boy refused to go to sleep until she threatened to not let him go at all today. Even then, it was approximately another 30 minutes after that before he finally succumbed to his body's need for rest.

He was raring to go, however, when his father woke up him 30 minutes ago. Brian shook his head, thinking it wasn't _too_ long ago that he would have been coming _home_ at 3:00, not leaving. _How a certain someone had changed him….._

Thinking of that "certain someone," he leaned down and answered his son, "Yeah, buddy, almost. You go get Daddy's car keys while I run upstairs and say goodbye to Justin, okay?" His son noded his head eagerly in agreement as he rushed toward the living room to gather his father's keys.

The brunet smiled again at his son's enthusiasm as he placed his mug down on the table and turned to walk up the steps to the second floor. As he walked down the hallway and arrived at his and Justin's master bedroom, he slowly opened the door to find his partner fast asleep on his side, bathed in the moonlight coming from the large, expansive bay window; he was clutching Brian's pillow firmly to his slender side as if he were inhaling the brunet's scent for comfort.

Not surprisingly, when the raucous beep of the alarm had sounded earlier, his fiancé has merely stirred slightly in sleep before falling back into sound slumber; Justin always _did_ possess an uncanny talent for sleeping through just about anything, and this was no exception. His partner had apparently noticed, however, either overtly or subconsciously, that he was no longer in the bed because his arms were wrapped firmly around the pillow he normally slept on.

Brian shook his head and stared over at the blond thoughtfully. Justin had gone through so much time and trouble to try and provide him with what he had thought would be the perfect wedding gift. It wasn't his fault that it had not gone as well as he had hoped. At least now Brian had a set of grandparents that cared about him, and more importantly, he finally had some type of vindication that the horrid people he had always thought of as his parents really weren't.

_God, I love you, you twat_, he couldn't help thinking as he quietly walked over to the side of the bed and knelt on the mattress. Utilizing his hands for support, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the man's cheek. To his surprise, Justin drowsily roused from his sleep as his eyelids fluttered open to gaze up at his partner.

"What time is it?" he asked sleepily, noticing with puzzlement that Brian was fully dressed in the near darkness; it was obvious, though, that it was nowhere near dawn.

"About 3:30," Brian replied as he gently brushed some hair away from Justin's forehead.

"In the _morning_?"

Brian smirked. "Yes, you asshole, in the _morning_…..you're the cause of this, you know," he growled good-naturedly, as Justin's eyebrows shot up innocently in a sort of _who, me?_ look.

"I wasn't invited to go fishing," the blond pointed out as he stretched his arms overhead languidly. "Besides, I already caught _my_ big fish," he whispered impertinently as he smiled back at his fiancé.

Brian snorted. "Yeah, well, _Mr. Limpet_, don't let me interrupt your beauty sleep." As Justin stared back at him confused, Brian added, "I'll explain later."

He began to rise from the bed, only to have Justin grab his wrist. "Hey," he said softly. "I hope you have fun with Gus and your grandfather today. And if you're a REAL good boy, we can have some of our _own_ fun later."

Brian smirked at his partner and waggled his eyebrows before he reached down to give the blond a soft kiss on the lips this time. As he drew back, he whispered, "I'll be counting on it…Just make sure you have your fish-gutting knife ready when I get home. Remember, Gus says he catches _BIG_ fish."

Justin scrunched up his nose distastefully at the thought of skinning fish before he smiled smugly and said, "So do I."

"Very funny," Brian muttered as he gave Justin a soft smack on his chest and stood back from the bed. "I'll see you later, Sleeping Beauty," he called out before turning and closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

_9:00 a.m. - Britin_

"Justin? Almost ready to go?" Lindsey called up the steps as she and Mel waited for their friend to come down from upstairs. They had made plans to make the rounds of Pittsburgh to catch up on old acquaintances and maybe do some shopping before the end of the day. Once they had moved to Canada, they found that they missed the type of variety in clothes they could find in their hometown, and had decided to take advantage of their trip to secure some much-desired cool-weather clothing for use back north; one consequence to moving there had been the quick change in temperature that seemed to occur this time of year.

"I'm coming," Justin called down as he looked around for his house keys. Spying them on the dresser, he grabbed them and reached for his jacket just as his cell phone began to ring. "Shit," he muttered, already somewhat stressed from running late. He flipped it open, thinking it might be Brian only to discover an unfamiliar number listed.

Frowning, he spoke into the receiver. "Hello?"

"Justin? It's Tony."

Justin's eyes widened in surprise at the man's identity; the last time he had spoken to him, Tony had informed him that he and Brian's father were undergoing a trial separation over the senator's refusal to openly acknowledge their relationship, as well as his own son.

"Is something wrong?"

Tony glanced over at Fin, who was anxiously trying to figure out the other side of the conversation as he listened nearby.

"No, nothing's wrong…I was just wondering if I could come out to your home and speak to you and Brian in person." He glanced over at Fin, who shook his head. Tony let out a soft sigh of frustration; he had tried to persuade Fin to simply let him tell Justin the truth – that Fin finally had decided to come out and meet his son at last. But for some inexplicable reason, Fin stubbornly refused to let him divulge that part. It was somehow as if he was afraid Brian would get spooked if he knew the real reason why Tony wanted to come out and meet with them.

"Why?" Justin replied. "I mean….you're welcome to come out anytime, but why _now? _Has something changed?"

_If you only knew…_Tony glanced over reproachfully at his lover, who once again firmly shook his head in warning. He huffed in irritation softly before replying, "No…..I would just like to speak with the two of you together, if that's okay. You DID tell me that Brian knows about me and Fin?"

Justin frowned; for some reason he had the distinct feeling that Tony wasn't being a hundred percent forthcoming in his responses. "Yeah, he knows about _all _of it," he verified somewhat warily. "Tony, you ARE welcome to come out to Britin, but I'm afraid today isn't a good day."

Tony raised his eyes to the ceiling in frustration; he had finally persuaded his lover to meet with his son and he wouldn't be there? "I'm sorry to hear that," he replied, trying to keep his abject disappointment from his voice. _More sorry than you could ever know… "_Are you sure you couldn't squeeze me in somehow?" He almost laughed at the absurdity – he felt more like a constituent trying to see Fin than the man's son and his fiancé.

"Justin? Are you coming?" The blond could hear Lindsey becoming more impatient now as she once again called up to him. He chuffed lightly in indecision – he had to get going, but at the same time, something in Tony's voice sounded urgent that he see the two of them today. He held his hand over part of his cell phone as he yelled down the steps, "I'll be right there," before turning his conversation back to his caller.

"I don't know," he told the older man. "Brian and Gus are actually gone right now – they're fishing with Brian's grandfather in Johnstown out on some lake there, and I'm about to take Gus' two moms into town to do some shopping and see some friends. Neither one of us will be back at Britin until at least dinner time."

"Oh," Tony said, clearly disappointed. He looked over at Fin again, who had a puzzled look on his face. Tony held his hand out as if to say, _hold on a minute_, before he resumed speaking to Justin.

"Well, could I come out then? I don't really want to explain over the phone, Justin, but it's important. I'll have to be back in court tomorrow, so I wouldn't be able to meet with you then."

"Justin! Come on – it's getting late!" As he heard his name being called again, Justin sighed in consternation. "Okay," he finally decided. "I'll try to reach Brian and find out when he thinks he'll be back, but I'm not sure he's somewhere where he can get a cell signal. Why don't we just plan on meeting here around 6:30? I'll be back by then, and I'll try to make sure Brian is, too."

Tony sighed in relief. He really didn't want to put off Fin's reunion with his son any longer; it had taken too long to reach this point and he didn't want anything to get in the way of Fin following through on his decision. "Thanks, Justin," he said. "I'll be there."

As he hung up the phone, Justin shook his head. Something was going on – he just wasn't sure exactly what. He didn't have time at the moment to dwell on it, however, as he grabbed his jacket and rushed down the hallway to meet his friends below.

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Harrisburg – Tony & Fin's Residence

As he flipped his cell phone shut, Tony turned around to face his co-conspirator in crime. "Thanks a lot, Fin," he said curtly, shaking his head in exasperation. "That made me sound like a real idiot. Why didn't you just let me spit it out and tell Justin you finally wanted to come out and meet your son?"

"Now, Counselor, don't go getting your briefs in a knot," Fin retorted, evoking a snort from the blond at the double entendre. He sobered, however, before he admitted, "I know – it's stupid. And totally unlike me."

Tony certainly had to agree with _that_ statement – normally, Fin was as confident and self-assured as they come. When it came to this particular situation, however, he could understand the man wanting to tread lightly. The whole thing, however, still made him feel like some kind of undercover agent, and a bad one at that. "I still wish you had just let me tell him what's going on – I'm not sure either he OR your son is going to appreciate us springing this on them unannounced."

Fin twisted his face. "Yeah, maybe not," he admitted. "But I just want a chance to speak with him face to face, and I guess I was afraid he would refuse if he knew ahead of time. I haven't exactly been receptive to it up until now, have I?" He curled his lips under in a sort of self-deprecating sort of way, an action that always seemed to tug at his partner's heartstrings.

Tony shook his head. _Damn the man_. _Can't live with him, couldn't live without him, either…_

He walked the few steps over to his lover and draped his hands over the man's shoulders to stare into his soft, gray eyes filled with worry. "That's okay, Fin," he said softly. "You'll make it up to him, I know." He smirked. "Beneath that arrogant, cocky, indifferent shell beats the heart of a decent man."

Fin huffed. "Thanks…I think."

Tony smiled as he leaned in to rest his forehead against the other man's head before he gave him a soft, brief kiss on the lips. "You're welcome, Senator." As he pulled back slightly to gaze into the eyes of the man he loved more and more with each passing day, he added sincerely, "It'll work out, you'll see."

Fin still looked only partially convinced as he replied, "I hope so, Tony." He licked his lips a little nervously at the thought of his reunion later today with his son. As he stared back at his partner, though, who had forced him to reevaluate his priorities and make him realize what was _really_ important, he knew he could handle this situation, no matter _what _happened. "Just…..don't go anywhere, okay?" he said softly, almost fearfully.

Tony twisted his mouth determinedly and gazed back at his lover. "I'm not going anywhere, Fin, not without you. Now or ever."

* * *

_Early Morning - Lake Rowena – Cambria County near Johnstown, PA_

"Daddy, not like that!" Gus giggled as he watched his father attempting to put a worm on his hook.

Brian held the slimy, wriggling creature by two of his fingers in distaste as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. As the night crawler thrashed furiously, he finally stood up and flung the worm into the water while he briskly rubbed his hands back and forth in an attempt to discharge the mucous-like remnants that remained on his hands. Scrunching up his face in disdain, he sat back down in the boat and shook his head, trying to figure out for the life of him why everybody always seemed so enamored when it came to going fishing.

He looked over at his son, who was chortling furiously at his antics. As he looked over at the absolute joy on Gus' face, though, and the bemused smile from his grandfather, his scowl was slowly replaced with a self-deprecating smile. "Well, I never said I was an ace fisherman," he remarked in explanation, shrugging his shoulders.

Sean laughed. "That's okay, Brian," he remarked jovially. "We two boys will take care of the fishing duties for now, right Gus?" The little boy nodded his head in agreement as he dutifully held his fishing rod out over the water in a perfect imitation of Sean's stance; his grandfather was sitting in a deck chair set up next to a miniature one for Gus.

"Why don't you just work on your tan for a while?" he suggested. "There's a recliner chair inside the storage shed in the back."

Brian smiled; he was really beginning to like this man. "Now you're talking," he said agreeably as he walked toward the stern and retrieved a canvas-wrapped, fold-up recliner chair from the oblong-shaped storage shed attached to the stern's railing. He had to admit as he set it up and lowered his body down onto it; it was certainly peaceful enough out on the water, especially early in the morning. They had only observed one other boat out on the expansive lake, even though the temperature was remarkably warm for this time of the day, and the day was clear and sunny; perfect weather for fishing, IF you were into that sort of thing.

While his son and grandfather enjoyed their mutual camaraderie, however, he decided it would be a fine time to catch up on a little shut eye. "Catch me a big one, Sonny Boy," he called over to his son as he closed his eyes. "Daddy's going to get some beauty rest, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," the little boy responded agreeably. Gus was wearing a floppy fishing hat that his great-grandfather had purchased just for him on the way home yesterday; Sean had been so excited over the prospect of a fishing outing with his newly-discovered family that he had insisted on stopping to pick up the miniature lawn chair and child's fishing hat for Gus to wear today. He had also bought the folding recliner and placed it in storage; something told him that Brian would not appreciate being decked out in a fishing hat – the man seemed a little too elegant and cosmopolitan for that sort of thing - but he figured he might enjoy some creature comforts while his own son participated in some angling anyway.

Sean peered over at his grandson in bemusement, his long legs dangling over the recliner as he lay there with his sunglasses on. Brian was wearing casual but expensive, tailored shorts with leather sandals, his short-sleeved shirt open with the sides hanging over the chair. He could surmise that his grandson worked hard to stay in shape – his body was lean and muscular but not outrageously so. He distinctly thought he definitely reminded him of someone else he had seen over thirty years ago – another handsome man who had stolen his daughter's heart. He still found it almost unbelievable that now, after all this time, here was the product of their relationship, lying there on the chaise. Not only that, he was sitting here fishing with his great grandson, who was a precocious, extreme charmer himself. He could certainly see where the O'Connor charisma had traveled down the family tree…..

Sean had to smile, though; Brian might not be much of a fisherman, but it was obvious that he adored his child. Anyone who could love and nurture his child the way HE did had to be all right in his book, whether he could fish or not.

Brian had only been asleep for a few minutes when he heard his grandfather shouting urgently at his son; his body went into instant alert at the excited tone of Sean's voice as he came to with a start.

"Hold on, Gus!" he could hear his grandfather shouting. "Hold on!"

His eyes now open fully, Brian shot up out of the recliner and rushed toward the front of the boat. His heart beating rapidly in anxiety, his eyes frantically searched for his son for a few seconds in fear that he had fallen overboard before he spied his grandfather with his back to his son, both holding onto Gus' fishing pole for dear life.

"It's a big one, Gus!" Sean cried out. "Hold on tight!"

Brian let out a whoosh of relief as the breath rushed back into his lungs. His heart slowly returned to a more normal beat as he walked up to observe both males holding on to Gus' fishing pole. He could see the pole bending under the severe strain of something caught on the end of the line as Gus stood on top of his miniature lawn chair, his grandfather standing directly behind him.

"Brian!" Sean called out as he noticed the brunet in his peripheral vision. "Give us a hand here! He's got a big one!"

"Hold on, Sonny Boy!" Brian encouraged his son as he walked up to them. "Don't let him go!" He reached over to place his hands on the pole as three pairs held on firmly to the fiberglass rod.

"Keep your hands on the pole while I reel him in!" Sean instructed his two fishing companions. He began to retract the reel as the nylon line slowly began to wrap around the spool.

The line undulated up and down several times before finally, after several minutes, the end of the line was reached as a large, struggling walleye appeared and was lofted into the boat, where it flopped around furiously.

As the fish landed with a loud smack onto the floor of the boat, Brian jumped back, startled as it continued to thrash around in discomfort.

Gus promptly threw the pole down and jumped off the chair to take a closer look at it. "What is it, Daddy?" he asked excitedly, as he bent over and peered down to examine it. The fish breathed in and out in an attempt to obtain oxygen as Gus stared at it curiously.

Somehow Brian didn't think "it's a fish" was the answer his son wanted, but he had no clue what it was; he looked over at his grandfather for some assistance.

Sean smiled back at the two boys in amusement. "It's a walleye," he told them authoritatively. "And a grand specimen, too – must be at least a 10 pounder. You really DO know how to catch the big ones, Gus!"

The little boy nodded his head in agreement as he beamed in pride. "Big one," he repeated, his eyes wide with amazement as the fish continued to flop around on the deck. His face, however, clouded over as he worried over what would happen to it; all the other fish he had caught before were always promptly released by his moms. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"Are we going to let it go? Mommy always says they have mommy and baby fishes they need to take care of."

Brian rolled his eyes; of course, Lindsey would tell him that. "Uh…..I'm not sure, Gus. Sean's our host – I would say he would make that decision." And truthfully, as he gazed down at the struggling fish, he had no desire whatsoever to come into any sort of contact with the slimy creature, despite telling Justin he would be in charge of skinning it later, low carbs or NO low carbs.

Sean would have loved to have had a walleye dinner later that evening, but as he peered over at his great grandson's concerned face, and his grandson's obvious look of dread at even the _thought_ of touching the fish, he relented. "He probably DOES have a family, Gus – any fish _that_ magnificent must," he agreed. "I think your mommy's right – we'd better let him go." He looked over at his grandson in a silent question.

"No, no," Brian replied quickly as he shook his head. "Wouldn't want to deprive you of the privilege – you go right ahead."

"I'd be honored," he said facetiously. "But first let's get a picture of Gus with his big fish, okay?"

"Yeah!" Gus said, jumping up and down excitedly at the idea. "I can show Momma and Mommy and Justin!"

"And your great grandmother," he told the little boy as he turned to pick up a digital camera lying nearby; Kathy had sternly told him not to come back to the house later today without plenty of photos of his first fishing trip with his newly-found family.

As he held the camera up and took a photo of Gus standing near the large fish, he felt his eyes fill slightly with tears; he never in a million years imagined he would be able to experience this thrill, but here he was – with his daughter's son and grandson on his boat, fishing with him. At that moment, he didn't think anything else could ever compare to this…..

"Brian…..you stand near Gus. I want a picture of the two of you together, okay?"

Brian felt his own eyes watering as he nodded and stood directly behind his little boy and placed his hands on his shoulders. He gave a small breath of amazement and felt his lips break out in a smile as he stood there, feeling the sun bathing them in warmth and a slight breeze wafting over the boat. He never thought he would be partaking in family photos with anyone except Justin….but here he was, standing with his son while his _grandfather_ took their picture.

"That's a good one," Sean told them, nodding as he looked at the preview of the shot. "Now it's time to liberate our big buddy," he told Gus. He grinned back at the little boy as he bent down and deftly grasped the fish by its body; he finally removed the hook from the fish's mouth and, grabbing it by the tail, lofted it over the side of the boat. Gus rushed over to the side and looked down just in time to see the liberated fish quickly scurrying away. "Bye, Mr. Fish," he said as his little hand waved in parting.

Brian smiled at his son as he and Sean shared a mutual look of amusement. Sean walked over and placed a hand on Brian's shoulder as he showed Brian the photo he had just taken. "I'll e-mail you a copy, Brian," he told his grandson. "Kathy told me not to set foot in the house unless I have photographic evidence of our trip today," he told the other man.

Brian smiled. "Thanks," he said sincerely. "I'd really like a copy." He hesitated for a couple of seconds before he asked softly, "Would you mind if I take a picture of you and Gus together?"

Sean beamed at the suggestion as he handed the camera to Brian. "That'd be great! Gus, come over here and let your Dad take a picture of the two of us, okay?"

The little boy walked over and stood next to his great grandfather, who reached down and scooped him up to cradle him in his arms. He was glad that Gus was the kind of child who wasn't averse to having his photo taken; he had a feeling Kathy was going to be creating an entire photo album soon of their newly-discovered family out of the pictures he would be taking today and in the days to come.

Brian looked into the viewer. "Say Gucci," he said as the two males smiled back at him dutifully. It wasn't exactly a candid pose, but it was still a good one as the two stared back at him. For maybe the first time as he looked into the preview window, he realized there _were _some similarities between them, especially in the face. It wouldn't have really mattered by now, however, if they didn't look _anything_ alike – this man was quickly becoming family, even though they had only known him for a short time. He realized he _liked_ having a family that actually cared about him and his little boy.

"Okay," he told them, nodding, as Sean gently placed the little boy back on the ground.

"Well, that was exciting, Gus," Sean told his great grandson. "That was about the biggest fish I've ever seen! It was almost as big as YOU!"

The little boy smiled back at him radiantly as Brian walked up to hand the camera back to the older man. "It sure was, Sonny Boy! You're a much better fisherman than I am!"

"Silly Daddy," Gus chided him, his eyes flashing as he scolded him. "You're never going to catch a fish if you won't pick up a worm!"

Brian twisted his lips in admission. "Yeah…You got a point there, Sonny Boy. I'll just have to let you and my grandfather do the fishing _for_ me, okay?"

"Don't worry, Daddy….you're good at other things."

Brian raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? And what I am good at, Gus?"

"Well, you're good at driving cars and playing with my trains. And Mamma says you used to be good at tricks, but she told me you don't do them anymore. Why not, Daddy? I _like_ tricks!"

Brian cleared his throat uncomfortably, reminding himself to kill Mel the next time he saw her…... "Uh….yeah…Well," he stuttered, looking over somewhat apprehensively at his grandfather, who was observing the conversation silently. He was relieved, however, to see that Sean was holding his hand over his mouth, apparently in an attempt to keep from laughing.

Greatly relieved that his grandfather wasn't upset, he continued. "Uh…..that's a long story, Sonny Boy. I'll tell you some other time."

Sean thought his grandson had been squirming long enough. "Gus, what do you say we take the boat for a spin around that island over there? There's supposed to be some good shells you can collect on the beach. Should we go see?"

Gus jumped up and down animatedly, his previous question totally ignored now. "Yeah!" he screamed. "I _love_ to pick up shells! Daddy, help me find a bag for them!"

Brian smiled, relieved that the subject had been changed. "Okay, Sonny Boy, I'm sure there's one here somewhere." Flashing his grandfather a quick look of gratitude, he took his son's hand to go search for a bag while Sean walked back toward the cabin to start up the motor.

_

* * *

_

Pittsburgh – Mid-Afternoon

"I'm glad you guys rented an SUV – I didn't realize you were planning on buying out the entire inventory of the store!" Justin shifted the several packages he was carrying to try and better balance them as he followed Mel and Lindsey out of the women's fashion shop.

"And you just thought it was to stow our luggage," Lindsey replied, smiling. "You realize, don't you, that we had an ulterior motive in inviting you to come with us today."

Justin smiled. "Yeah, I remember the first time I volunteered to carry your packages. It didn't take long for you to take advantage of my offer back then; seems things haven't changed." As they finally reached the SUV parked by the curb, he placed the numerous shopping bags down on the ground with a whoosh of air.

"Thanks, Sweetie," Mel told him gratefully. "We just can't seem to find these things up north. And Gus grows so fast – seems like he's in another size each month. No wonder everyone's always complaining about the cost of kid's clothes. And baby clothes? Don't even get me started – at least Michael's been a big help in keeping Jenny Rebecca clothed."

Justin nodded, smiling. Michael had been only too happy to keep his daughter while the two women were in town for his and Brian's wedding. "I guess Debbie's in heaven right now." She had quickly become the doting grandmother, both to Jenny Rebecca as well as Gus, even though the little boy wasn't really related to her by blood. To Debbie and her "extended family," however, it didn't matter.

"She sure is," Lindsey told him as she reached to unlock the passenger door for Mel. "And we're only too happy to oblige her. Between you letting us stay at Britin, Brian spending a lot of time with Gus, and JR being with her grandma, we feel like we're on _vacation_."

Justin grinned. "Well, don't get used to it. I definitely plan on putting you guys to work before the wedding. Em's catering it, but it seems like there's always something that needs to be done anyway. Hope you don't mind if I enlist you along the way."

"Not at all," Mel told him fondly as Lindsey nodded in agreement. "We really _are_ happy for you – _both_ of you, believe it or not." She shook her head. "I never thought I'd see the great Brian Kinney tamed, but you managed to do it somehow. He's almost a _normal_ human being nowadays."

Justin grimaced. "Don't let HIM hear you say that," he admonished her kiddingly as he opened the back door and entered the vehicle. The two women grinned back at him before they joined him inside. "He still has a reputation to uphold."

Lindsey chuckled softly. "We won't tell a soul," she told him as she peered back at him through the rearview window. "By the way, were you able to get a hold of him?" Justin had mentioned to them why he was running late earlier, and while they were inside the store shopping, he had sat on a bench outside attempting to reach his partner.

He sighed. "No, I've tried several times. It just keeps going into his voicemail after a couple rings. I think he can't get a signal where he is. Hopefully at some point he'll be able to access his messages; Tony really sounded like he needed to speak with both of us."

"Any idea why?" Lindsey inquired. "I mean, why couldn't he just call and talk to you two?"

"I wish I knew," Justin told her softly. "I just hope something _else_ hasn't gone wrong; I don't think Brian could take anything else right now. We're both kind of stressed out, anyway, with the wedding coming up, and he's always up to his eyeballs in work at Kinnetik. I don't want him any _more_ stressed out than he already is."

"Well, I think it's good that he and Gus are fishing with his grandfather," Mel told him, joining in on the conversation. "He seems like a really decent man; I think he'll be a good influence on both Brian AND Gus."

Justin nodded firmly. "So do I," he agreed. "I had a good feeling about both of them from the first day I met them. And while I can't _imagine_ Brian fishing, I think the trip might actually help him relax a little, as well as get to know Sean better. At least _some_ good came out of that damned certificate." He had wondered for a while if the discovery of it had done more good than harm, but considering the wonderful set of grandparents Brian had gained as a result of it, he decided the negative aspects were outweighed by the positive. At the very least, Brian had gained a part of his family that Justin had always hoped he could have.

As Lindsey started the SUV and pulled out into traffic, Justin again pondered just what Tony wanted to talk to them about that was so urgent. Hoping that he could reach his fiancé in time, he gazed out the window in reflection as they slowly made their way back toward Britin.

_

* * *

_

Sean and Kathy Blackwell's House – Johnstown, 4:30 p.m.

Butterscotch barked furiously, alerting Kathy that the fishing warriors had returned from their trip. Smiling, she opened the oven door one more time to check on her meatloaf before wiping her hands on the half-apron she wore and walking toward the front door. "Butterscotch! It's all right! It's just Daddy!" she told the excitable ball of fur who continued to ignore her while she continued to yip feverishly and run around in circles, jumping up in the air as she anticipated her master's return.

The door opened shortly thereafter as Gus rushed in ahead of the two men. "Grandma!" he shouted at the petite woman. "You should have seen the fish I caught!" he bragged. "It was _this_ big!" he told her as he stretched out his hands wide.

Kathy beamed at her great grandson and her heart leapt at the title he had unexpectedly bestowed upon her. "It was?" she said smiling as she leaned down to speak to him. "I hope you got a picture," she told him as she stood back up and peered over at her husband for an answer.

He smiled at her as he and Brian walked over to her. "We sure did," he reported, as he turned the camera on to show her. She waited impatiently as the camera finally came on and her husband pushed the review button. "Oh, wow!" she exclaimed as she saw the photo of Gus with the walleye. "It WAS a big one!" She was actually shocked by the enormous size of the fish, assuming her little great grandson was no doubt embellishing his feat just a tad. But the little boy was right – it WAS a big fish.

Brian smiled back at her as she impulsively reached up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "Brian," she acknowledged him as he nodded at her before she released him. "I'm so glad you and Gus could stay for dinner," she told him. "It's almost ready. Why don't you boys freshen up and I'll set the table? Sean, show Bran where the bathroom is, okay?"

He nodded. "Right that way," he directed Brian and Gus. "Down the hallway, last door on the left." As Brian nodded his thanks and took his son's hand to lead him toward the bathroom, Sean and Kathy found themselves with a few moments alone.

"How'd it go?" she asked her husband curiously as he followed her into the kitchen and watched her reach for some plates from a nearby upper cabinet.

As she handed them to him, he told her, smiling, "It was great. MORE than great! I loved it, and our two boys seemed to have a good time, too. Although – I found out Brian really isn't a fisherman," he told her conspiratorially in a soft voice so their grandson wouldn't overhear. "You might say he has an allergy to slimy worms."

She laughed. "I had a feeling," she told him, as she handed him some silverware from a drawer next to the stove. "But they DID have a good time?" she pressed him again.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I think so…they're great, Kathy. They really seemed to enjoy being out on the water. And Brian is wonderful with Gus…just like I imagined Lydia would have been with _him_," he said wistfully, his voice suddenly choking up a little with emotion.

Kathy smiled tenderly at her sentimental husband; she may get emotional more than he did, but that still didn't mean he didn't feel things deeply. She reached over to place her arm around his waist. "Yeah," she said softly. "I thought about that, too," she confessed.

She sniffled a little at the thought of what might have been before she forced herself to stop dwelling on the past. "But what's important is that we found out about him and Gus – now we can work on being a real family for them. We can be in their lives and build upon the future. That's what Lydia would have wanted."

Sean brightened at the thought of what they could do in the future now. "Yeah," he said, smiling. "I'm going to enjoy filling up that new photo album of yours."

Kathy returned his smile. "Yeah….I can't wait."

"Don't forget," they heard their grandson say as he and Gus returned from the bathroom. "You've got a wedding to attend next weekend. You ARE planning on coming, aren't you?" He tried not to sound desperate regarding their response, but he realized how important it was to him that they be there. Now that he finally had a true family, he didn't want to experience one of the happiest moments of his life without them being a part of it.

As Gus went rushing by, heading into the living as he chased after Butterscotch, Kathy placed her hands on her hips. "Are you _kidding_ me, Brian? NOTHING could keep us away! We are so looking forward to it! And I am planning on LOTS of pictures, too!"

Brian breathed out a small sigh of relief as well as happiness. "Good," he told them, smiling back at them.

They nodded at their grandson before Kathy said, "Well, I don't see any fish for me to clean, so I'm assuming you threw the gargantuan beast back after taking its picture. So who's ready for some _real_ dinner?"

_

* * *

_

An Hour Later

"That was one of the best dinners I've ever had," Brian admitted to his grandmother as he groaned. "And I ate WAY too much. I'm glad you're not catering my wedding – I'd be bloated as hell before I left on my honeymoon."

Kathy smiled at the compliment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's an old family recipe, actually. I'd be glad to share it with Justin – he told me he enjoys cooking."

Brian smirked. "Yeah….he's always trying to fatten me up – he always thought I was too skinny. But HE never seems to gain an ounce, no matter WHAT he eats. And believe me, he can put it away like a Mack truck driver."

Kathy grinned as she looked over affectionately at her husband. "Yeah, I know someone like that, too," she divulged as Sean rolled his eyes. "This man can eat like a horse and not gain a thing. Makes me jealous! I have to walk around the block for a half-hour every day just to stay at the same weight; normally the only exercise HE gets is changing the channel on the remote during football games, or riding our lawn mower to cut the grass."

"Now, Kathy, that's not exactly true," Sean countered as he looked over at Brian. "I do play golf regularly with some friends," he told him. "Kathy just doesn't see that as being athletic." He heard his wife snort in reply as he grinned. "See? Told you."

She shook her head. "Never have understood how hitting a little ball and walking from green to green could be so fascinating," she admitted. "But it keeps him out of trouble…"

Brian smiled in bemusement at the playful bantering going back and forth between his grandparents; he was enjoying himself immensely, even though the normal person wouldn't consider this anywhere _near_ exciting. Somehow, though, the almost bucolic scene made him feel special…_loved_…..part of an actual family.

"Daddy!" he heard a blur call to him from the living room. "Butterscotch can do tricks, too!"

Brian laughed as Kathy looked over at him in puzzlement. "That's great, Sonny Boy," he told his son. He shook his head a little in embarrassment. "I think I'll just let that comment drop," he said, grinning. Kathy peered at him curiously but didn't press him further as Brian asked her just what types of "tricks" Butterscotch could do.

She smiled. "Sean taught her the standard ones – sit up, beg, speak – not that she needs any help with THAT one," she told him. "She can also play dead and stand on her hind legs and spin around. You don't need a flower girl for the wedding, do you?" she asked facetiously.

Brian laughed. "I don't think so – my best friend's little girl has that assignment. But if something comes up, I'll keep her in mind as a backup."

As Kathy and Sean grinned back at him, he suddenly came to a realization. "I just remembered I turned my cell phone off earlier when I couldn't get a signal. Would you mind if I checked for messages?"

The two shook their head and smiled at his courtesy. "No, of course not," Sean told him. "I know how hard it is to get coverage out there, and I imagine with your business and the wedding coming up, there's always someone wanting to talk to you."

Brian grimaced. "You have NO idea," he lamented. "It was actually nice being out of service for a while." He flipped his phone open and turned it on to discover he was right; he definitely had at least one message. He stood up and pushed his chair away from the table. "If you'd excuse me for a few minutes," he said as they nodded.

He walked into the living room to smile at his son, who was telling Butterscotch to sit up and beg as he fed her a dog biscuit from a box of treats his great grandparents had given him earlier. As he retrieved his messages, he realized he had four of them from the same person: Justin. All his fiancé had said, however, was to call him as soon as possible.

Wondering if something was wrong, he quickly punched in his first speed dial number and walked toward the back sliding glass door to push it open. He had just walked outside and slid the door shut when his partner's voice answered the phone.

"Brian!" he exclaimed. "Finally!"

"Everything okay?" Brian instantly inquired, not sure by the tone of Justin's voice if something was wrong or not.

"Everything's fine," he assured the other man, who breathed a sigh of relief. "I just needed to know when you'll be home. Did you have a good time?"

Brian smiled to himself, even though he knew Justin couldn't see him. "Yeah…Gus and I had a really good time," he admitted. "Oh, and by the way, Gus really CAN catch big fish. You'll have to see the picture Sean took of the walleye he caught."

"Really?" Justin responded, surprised. He sobered, though, at a thought that occurred to him. "You're not really bringing that smelly thing back here, are you?"

"I hope you mean the fish and NOT me."

Justin snorted. "Of COURSE I mean you! But what about the fish?"

Brian huffed. "Just for that, I wish I WAS bringing the fish home so you'd have to deal with it. I hate to disappoint you, though, Sunshine, but Gus wanted to liberate him so we let him go."

"I'm crushed," Justin said sarcastically. "I'll just have to make do with steak instead." His voice softened as he added, "I'm so glad you and Gus had a good time with your grandfather."

"Yeah….me, too," Brian answered. "They really are great, Justin. And Gus is already calling Kathy _grandma_."

"That's wonderful," Justin told him, so relieved that at least THIS part of his "present" had actually turned out well. Thinking of his partner's "present," however, reminded him of his reason for his calls previously. "That reminds me," he told his partner. "Tony wants to come out to Britin tonight to speak with us."

Brian frowned. "Tony?"

"You know….your father's partner."

"Tonight? Why?"

Justin answered honestly, "I really don't know. He called early this morning and asked if he could come out. I told him it wasn't a good time – that both of us would be gone most of the day – but he said it was important and asked if he could meet with us around dinner tonight. Is there any chance you can get back here soon?"

Brian paused, wondering what in the world was going on NOW. "Well…..we just finished with dinner, so I guess I could leave right away if I really needed to. You know, though, that it's still a two-and-a-half-hour drive, so the earliest I could get back out there would be around 7:15."

"Yeah, I know," Justin acknowledged, pausing to think. "I could try and call him and see if we can push it back a little. I told him earlier I would be home before 6:30 but I didn't make any guarantees that you'd be back by then. Why don't I try to do that?"

Brian was silent for a few moments, still wondering what was so important for his father's partner to come out to Britin to speak to them in person. "I guess that'd be all right," he finally said. "But when you call him, you need to make sure he's not coming out there with some secret mission to convince me to go see my father and grovel to him for a relationship. He's made it perfectly clear he isn't interested; I'm not going to beg him for one."

"I know," Justin said softly, regretting his failure to convince Senator O'Connor otherwise. "I'll tell him, though. And Brian?"

"Yes?"

"Hurry home…..I miss you."

Brian smiled, saying the words before he had time to think about it. "I miss you, too. Later."

"Later," Justin replied softly as he hung up the phone.

_

* * *

_

5:15 p.m. – Fin and Tony's Residence

"Ready to go?" Fin asked his partner as he walked into their kitchen; he noticed the blond was just shutting his cell phone.

"Slight change of plans," Tony told him. "I just got a call from Justin. He finally was able to reach Brian, but he's still in Johnstown. He explained that I wanted to come out to their home to speak with them in person, but it's a two-and-a-hour drive from Johnstown to West Virginia. He asked if I could push back our meeting to 7:30 to give Brian enough time to get home."

Fin sighed. "It's just as well, anyway," he said, glancing at his watch. "We're already running late – even if we leave now, we won't get there ourselves until after 7:00."

Tony noticed the slight hesitation in his partner's voice. "Tell me you're not backing out, Fin…"

"No, I'm NOT backing out," Fin retorted. "Have some faith, will you? I told you I was going to do this. You know once I make a decision, I stick to it."

Tony snorted as he walked over and placed his hands around his partner's waist. "Yeah….until it comes to your son. You changed your mind about him, remember? And US….."

Fin glared. "You don't forget a thing, do you?"

Tony smiled back at him. "The true mark of an excellent attorney," he quipped, as he leaned in to bestow a quick kiss on Fin's lips. "Now let's get going, Senator."

"Yes, Sir," the brunet responded dutifully as he scooped up a set of their car keys. "Now all we have to do is get past the pit bull patrol out front."

"I took care of that…..at least I hope," Tony told him as Fin looked over at him questioningly. "I had Mario send out your official Senate car with the dark tinted windows. Hopefully all the hounds are following that one by now."

Fin smiled back at him broadly. "Why, you ingenious little ambulance chaser," he joked, receiving a slap on his upper arm in response. "Let's make our great escape, then," he advised the other man as he grabbed his wrist and began to pull him toward the garage door. "Just in case, though, you have our disguises in the car?"

Tony sighed. "Yes…..Just once, though, I wish YOU'D be the dark and dangerous type and I could be the redheaded, beefy type. I hate being stereotyped."

Fin snorted and shook his head as he opened the door. "You have to EARN that privilege, counselor," he deadpanned as they walked toward the car. As the two of them got in and the door opened, he found himself actually hoping that he could truly be _himself_ with his son. He only hoped that would be good enough.

_

* * *

_

Justin was watering some of the patio's abundant potted flowers as he heard an excited voice calling out, "Uncle Justin!" He smiled as he saw Gus come running up unexpectedly. "Guess what I caught?"

He grinned at his partner's son. "What? A bear?"

"No, Uncle Justin! You're so silly, just like Daddy! I caught a BIG FISH!"

Justin's heart sped up a little faster as he glanced up and noticed Brian walking toward them. "You _did_? How big?" Brian, of course, had already told him about Gus' big event, but he didn't want to damper the little boy's enthusiasm.

Gus stretched his arms out as far as he could. "This big!" he cried excitedly.

"Really?" he asked, looking over at his partner, who smiled back at him.

"He really _did_," he confirmed, playing along. "Walleye – you should have seen it."

"That's great, little guy," Justin told the little boy, who beamed back in response. "I'm proud of you."

"Grandpa took a picture of it," he told his _uncle,_ who looked back in surprise at how easily the endearment had slipped from the little boy's lips. "He promised to send Daddy a copy so I can show you."

"Good – I can't wait to see it." He replied, although his attention was now focused on the man he had missed all day – the little boy's father. "Why don't you go tell your Momma and Mommy all about it? They're in the kitchen. I think they're making brownies," he added, saying the magic words as Gus abruptly whirled and headed toward the back entrance of the house.

As Gus shouted for his two mothers, he rushed toward the double French doors in a fevered quest for his parents to tell them all about his big adventure. Justin could hear the little boy calling continuously for the two women, even after he had managed to open one of the doors, slip in, and slowly close it firmly behind him.

Justin chuckled as he peered over at his partner. "_Someone_ definitely had a great time today," he observed as he looked over at his partner.

Brian smiled tenderly after his son, who quickly disappeared in a flash. "He sure did," he reported as he watched him go. "I did, too," he admitted softly, recalling the kindness, laughter, and camaraderie he and his grandparents had shared today. He was hopeful that there would be many more good times like that to come.

"I'm so glad," Justin told his partner. "I was hoping you would." He had to chuckle a little as he recognized what Brian was wearing. "Brian," he chided the man softly. "Gucci sandals and an Armani shirt and shorts for a _fishing trip_? Couldn't you just once wear something inexpensive for a change? What if you had fallen in the water?"

"Excuse me?" the brunet said in a mock affront. "I don't DO inexpensive. And for your information, _Mr. Taylor_, I wasn't in a canoe – it was a BOAT. There wasn't any chance I was going to get wet."

"Oh, really?"

Brian frowned. He _knew_ that look, that mischievous sparkle in those blue eyes, and it was never good. "Mr. Taylor….what are you up to?"

Justin smirked. "You never know when something's going to spring a leak," he answered ominously as he turned to face his partner and slowly began to walk toward him.

Brian eyed the hose in the blond's hand warily. "Justin…don't you even _think_ about it! This shit shrinks!"

"Oh? Which part?" he asked impertinently, his eyes twinkling as he slowly began to turn the hose toward the brunet. He flicked the hose over toward Brian just enough to land a small stream on the brunet's face.

Brian put his hand out in warning and pointed his index finger at his partner as he slowly walked forward. "Justin….put the weapon down and back away from it, or suffer the consequences…"

"I'm scared," Justin quipped in challenge, holding both hands firmly over the tubing and grinning broadly.

Brian curled his lips under as he slowly crept toward his lover. "I warned you….."

Justin squealed as Brian pounced on him before he had a chance to aim another shot at him, wrapping his arms around the slender blond to trap him between his own body and prevent the hose from doing any further damage; he quickly turned Justin around to wrap his own hands around the hose from behind, as the two of them jockeyed for control of the "deadly" device.

"I tried to tell you, little boy," Brian growled, as he nipped at Justin's ear while still maintaining firm control over the hose. "Drop it before you get hurt."

"Ooh, I'm quaking in my sneakers….."

Brian pursed his lips together to keep from laughing. It took him a couple of seconds to regain his composure before he huskily whispered in his lover's ear, "You should be….."

"Oh, really?" Justin asked, just before he temporarily removed his left hand from the hose to reach back and tickle Brian right in the side of his waist where he knew it would affect him.

Brian yelped in surprise, letting go slightly on the hose as he jumped back, startled. "Why, you sneaky shit," he snarled, as the two of them continued to fight furiously over the nozzle end. Both men began to laugh uproariously at their predicament until they caught sight of something that stopped both of them in their tracks.

The two men simultaneously dropped the now-forgotten hose and stood frozen as they observed Tony standing approximately twenty feet away, staring back at them in amusement. "Did I interrupt something?"

Justin blushed slightly at being caught red handed in their rather unusual form of foreplay; after all, any time the two of them bantered back and forth with each other, there could only be one conclusion – some hot, horny sex immediately thereafter. He actually found himself a little disappointed that that would now have to apparently wait a while. "Uh…no," Justin managed to say, somewhat breathlessly as he straightened his shirt, which had become rather disheveled as a result of Brian's struggle for supremacy over the hose.

He smiled somewhat sheepishly at their visitor as he said to his partner, "Uh…..Brian, this is Tony Cassinelli, your father's partner. Tony, this is….."

Tony shook his head and held up a hand to interrupt him. "You don't need to tell me, believe me," he said, standing there shaking his head in amazement. "My God, Justin…..I know you showed me his picture and your sketches, and I know what you told me, but you were right…..it's unbelievable. The resemblance is uncanny." He stared at Brian, who actually appeared somewhat uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny. "You don't know how much I've been wanting to meet you," he told the brunet sincerely.

"Uh…..," Brian managed to stammer out to his consternation; he really hadn't thought meeting his father's partner would throw him off balance, but now that he was looking at him, he realized he was almost unable to speak intelligently. "Mr. Cassinelli," he finally uttered. "Justin said you needed to see us," he added.

Justin watched as the blond nodded, his stance rigid; for some reason, Tony seemed uncharacteristically unsure of himself. Any other time, either in person or on the phone, the attorney always exuded an attitude of confidence and self-assurance. Just what was going on?

"Tony?" he asked. "What did you need to see us about?" He did not see a need to beat around the bush, now that the man was here; he had spent all afternoon worrying about what was going on, and for his sanity as well as Brian's, he needed an answer. "What was so important you needed to see us in person?"

Justin and Brian watched as the man glanced off to the side, around the house, as if he were looking for something.

"Tony?" Justin repeated, frowning.

They watched as Tony once more glanced back behind him and sighed this time. "It wasn't me, exactly," he finally said. They watched, puzzled, as they heard him say, "Don't just stand there, you asshole…! Get over here!"

_What in the hell?_ Justin shook his head, wondering if the man had somehow gone mad, until he noticed someone else emerging from around the side of the house. All at once, everything came into focus as he recognized the REAL reason why Tony was there – the carbon copy of his own partner currently walking up to stand beside him.

* * *

_**A/N: BTW - in case you are wondering and don't know, Mr. Limpet is a character from a movie several years ago where a man fell overboard and turned into a fish...**_

Britin – 7:15 p.m. – Backyard


	16. Stubborn is as Stubborn Does

Justin's eyes widened as he watched Fin walk up to stand somewhat hesitantly beside Tony. As much as he had hoped that someday the Senator and Brian might meet face to face, despite Fin's refusal initially to do so, he was still stunned by his appearance here at their home.

As the charismatic man appeared frozen to his place beside his partner, Justin stole a glance over at his _own_ partner, who was standing a few feet away. He wanted to say something, _anything_ to him but found he couldn't utter a single word as he stared at his fiancé and wondered just what was going on in his mind. Brian for some reason didn't seem as shocked by Fin's arrival as _he_ did; in fact, if a casual observer had seen him right now, they would have thought he was totally nonplussed by his father's appearance. Justin, however, knew better as he noticed Brian wouldn't return his gaze but merely stood there stoically, his eyes locked on their visitors. From the side, Justin could see the angry set of his jaw and the flash in his eyes.

As Brian remained where he was, silently seething, his father had a better opportunity to study him from afar. Fin was astounded at the likeness between the two of them. He had seen several photos of his son by now, and the sketch that Justin had made of both Brian and his great-grandson, Gus, had been extremely lifelike, but now that he could see the man in person, the resemblance was unbelievable – it was true; Brian could be his younger twin: same stance, same body build, same hair color, even the same types of clothes – tailored and expensive.

As Tony slowly began to walk toward the two men standing on the patio, he noticed his partner wasn't moving; he reached his hand over to grab Fin's lower arm to pull him along with him. "Fin….pick up your damn feet and _move_," he commanded quietly in his partner's ear. Fin glared over at him briefly as if to say, _I can walk on my own, thank you very much_, before Tony rolled his eyes at him in irritation over his stubbornness and gave him a small tug.

Huffing out a small breath of aggravation at the other man's pushiness, Fin reluctantly began to follow closely behind his partner. He still wasn't sure this was a good idea – as he peered over at his son's stony face, it only cemented his doubts – but he was here now and he had promised Tony he would follow through on his promise. He only hoped he wasn't about to fall flat on his face in the process.

As if reading his mind, Tony's hand dropped from Fin's sleeve to clasp his hand in support as they slowly walked over to Justin and Brian, who were standing next to a glass-topped, round table adorned with what appeared to remnants of someone's dinner; the hose that had been the focal point of the couple's playful bantering just a few minutes earlier was now totally forgotten and lying on the ground nearby.

As the two older men walked up to the edge of the patio, less than ten feet away now from the other two men, Tony flashed Justin a small smile of apology. He had hated having to be so evasive to Brian's partner but felt like he had had no choice if he was going to get Fin to agree to this meeting.

He felt, though, that Justin, of all people, would understand; he would know how he felt and what he was going through at the moment – after all, they had both had the misfortune – or luck, depending upon your viewpoint – of falling in love with this father-son duo who, at least from outward appearances, were so alike. Something told Tony that their similarities didn't end at just their stunning physical resemblance, however, as he watched the two of them warily eyeing each other as they stood face to face for the first time.

"Hey, Justin," Tony softly said in greeting to his counterpoint standing nearby.

"Tony," Justin said quietly, nodding in acknowledgement; his tone of voice was part reproach, part question. Justin figured there would be time later to press the other man on just how he had managed to get Fin to agree to this and why he hadn't told him the truth; for now, though, there was a much more critical issue to deal with. He stared over at Tony's companion, who was inexplicably silent. "Senator…."

Fin finally tore his gaze away from Brian long enough to acknowledge the younger man. "Hello, Justin," he greeted him quietly.

"I'm…..surprised to see you here," Justin admitted quietly; that at least was true.

"Yeah, I guess you would be," Fin agreed readily, smirking a little at the irony. "By the way, don't blame Tony – it was my decision not to tell you over the phone."

Justin nodded as he digested that particular piece of information. He still would have liked to have known ahead of time that Tony had persuaded Brian's father to show up, but at least the man was here; that was a start.

The air was thick with tension as the four of them found themselves uncomfortably silent, not quite sure how to proceed. Justin finally broke the brief silence by turning to his partner, who hadn't uttered a word since they had first laid eyes on their visitors.

"Brian," he began, extending one hand toward Tony. "This is Tony Cassinelli – I told you about him." He felt his heart began to pound a little with a combination of both anxiety and excitement as he moved on to the next, most important, introduction. "And this is…"

"I know who you are," Brian finally spoke aloud, his voice dripping with scorn as he looked directly at the older version of himself. "What I'd like to know is what the fuck you're _doing_ here. You made it perfectly clear to Justin that you had no fucking intention of meeting me."

"That's not true," Fin countered defensively. "I _never_ told Justin I didn't want to meet you. I _always_ wanted to meet you. I just thought right now wouldn't be the best time."

Brian snorted. "Oh, _excuse me_…I stand corrected. That's right – you didn't want to me meet now because you thought it might hurt your precious political ambitions." His voice slowly rose as he continued in a clipped tone, "So what's changed, _Senator_?" he asked icily. "Did you decide somehow that finding a lost-long son would appeal to the sentimental segment of your constituency and balance out the homophobic pricks?"

"Brian…" Justin reached a placating hand on his partner's lower arm; he was slightly shocked when Brian roughly snatched his arm away. "He's trying to make amends….."

"Bullshit! Somehow he's decided it's a good political move now to make nice with the orphaned faggot son! Well, I don't need this and I don't need YOU!" he snapped at his father, who visibly flinched at the anger-filled pain spewing from his son's voice. "Just get the hell off my property and get the hell out of MY LIFE‼"

"Brian!" Justin cried, again trying to reach for his partner's hand only to have the brunet pull it away before he had the chance. "You don't mean that! Give him a chance!" He couldn't believe after Fin had finally agreed to meet with his son that Brian was rebuffing his overtures.

Brian huffed angrily as he whirled to face his partner. "Whose side are you ON, Justin?"

Justin shook his head in irritation, his blue eyes flashing. "I'm not on _anyone's_ SIDE, Brian! That has _nothing_ to do with taking sides! You've finally got a chance to get to know your father – your _real_ father! Why won't you just listen to him?"

"I don't _believe _you, Justin! How can you _defend_ this man? This is fucking bullshit!" He exhaled a loud huff of breath, his lips pursed tightly in barely controlled fury. "You know what?" he said, throwing up his hands. "You do what you want – I fucking don't care." He turned to confront his father, whose own face was contorted with pain. "When I come back, I don't want to see your face here," he stated evenly, his voice more controlled now, almost deadly so. He stared pointedly into the stricken face of the older man for several seconds before turning his back on him.

"Brian!" Justin shouted at his partner, who abruptly walked away toward the back of the grounds. He stood there in shock for several seconds, not quite believing what had just happened, before he turned back to his guests, his eyes shining with unshed tears of sadness over what had just happened.

He raised his hands helplessly. "I can't believe what just happened," he finally managed to say to the other men.

Fin sighed. "I can't say I'm totally surprised," he told Justin. "And I guess I had that coming." He brushed one hand through his thick, slightly graying, chestnut-colored hair. "I was hoping he would at least listen to me, though….."

Justin and Tony exchanged a mutual look of frustration. "Well, I can't say I'm all that surprised by Brian's reaction, either," Justin verified. "Damn stubborn asshole."

Tony smirked. "That's funny – I have the same pet name for Fin."

"This isn't funny, Tony!" Fin snapped, bringing his hand to his forehead as he felt the beginnings of a migraine trying to filter into his temples. "Let's just go, okay? It's obvious he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"No, wait!" Justin cried, reaching out to grab Fin's arm; he held onto it just long enough to prevent Brian's father from walking away before releasing his grip. "Let me talk to him first, Senator. Please….you came all this way – what difference will a few more minutes make?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, Fin, what difference will a few more minutes make?"

Fin stared at the two blond-headed men who were wearing practically identical expressions of hopefulness and persuasion. Their expressive eyes bored into his until he sighed in resignation. "You know, it was bad enough having Tony looking at me like that – now I have TWO of you."

Tony smiled triumphantly as he grinned at Justin. "You always told me, Fin, that everything's fair in love and politics."

Fin glared back at his partner. "Why did I ever get involved with someone who has a fucking photographic memory?" he said, sighing. "All right, Justin, I'll stick around for a little longer. But if he inherited my trait of tenacity, I think you're going to be wasting your time."

"You mean pigheadedness," Tony corrected him, as Fin reached over and gave him a jab in the waist in response. "Ow!" he glowered at the other man.

Justin shook his head, still worried about trying to convince Brian to change his mind but also amused by the partners' interaction. It reminded him so much of what he and Brian would do; it was so easy to see this man was really Brian's father, even if he _hadn't _looked just like him.

"Well, I'll have a try at it, anyway," Justin told them. "Why don't the two of you make yourselves comfortable out here? There're drinks in the fridge over by the grill unit," he told them, motioning toward a stainless steel compartment set up in a corner of the patio that held a grill, refrigerator, and a metal counter with four barstools.

He and Brian had spent numerous evenings here on the patio sitting under a moonlight night, basking in the warmth provided by a portable fire pit nearby and just enjoying each other's company. Not to mention that lately, the fire pit had also become a makeshift campfire for Gus' marshmallow roasting to his son's delight.

Before he turned to leave, he had to ask one more question, though, if only to make sure he was doing the right thing. "If I could ask you, Senator, just why DID you change your mind? The last time we talked, you were quite adamant that you had no intention of meeting Brian in person, at least not until after the election next year. What changed?" he asked curiously; if he was going to try and persuade his partner to reconsider, it was important that he know the reason why.

Justin watched the two partners exchange a look between them before Fin answered, "I had a lot of time to think since you left and Tony took off, too," he told Justin softly. "And I came to realize that what I would be giving up was worse than what I might stand to gain." He continued, almost shyly, "Tony means a lot to me – always has and always will. I can't imagine my life without him in it, so no amount of good for others could balance what I would be losing in the process."

Tony beamed at his partner's heartfelt declaration – it was a rare occurrence for this proud, confident man to admit he needed someone other than himself.

Fin cleared his throat. "And I also came to the realization that I _want_ a family, in addition to Tony, that is. Anyway, I finally decided that it was worth the risk, no matter what happens. I admit….I can do a lot of good as governor, a _hell_ of a lot of good. And it worries me that I may be about to flush that whole possibility down the crapper. I've worked hard for a long time now to get where I am. But it's time – time to come clean about everything, and let the chips fall where they may." He gazed over at his partner, who smiled at him and nodded in agreement. "I've scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning in Harrisburg to formally announce my candidacy for Governor, and also disclose my relationship with Tony."

He shrugged. "And who knows? Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised," he said, smirking. "Maybe there're more tolerant people out there than I _think_ there are."

Justin smiled back at the man's seemingly heartfelt speech. "I'm just glad you changed your mind, Senator," he told him. "I really think you're doing the right thing."

"Please, Justin, call me Fin," the older man corrected him. "Something tells me you and I are going to be seeing a lot more of each other – I least I HOPE so."

Justin sobered at that comment. "Yeah…..me, too. But first I have a little problem to take care of…..your _tenacious _son."

"That's pigheaded," Fin responded, glancing over at Tony, who grinned back at him and nodded. The blond reached over to tenderly brush some stray hair from his partner's face as Fin added somberly, "I really hope you can get Brian to talk to me. I really DO want a relationship with him. I just hope I haven't fucked it up now."

Justin smiled wistfully. "I'll do my best." His mind dwelled on his self-confident but also vulnerable partner as he added, "He's been through a lot with his adoptive family," he divulged softly. "That's made it hard in some ways for him to trust others and open up to them," he explained. "You may not find it so easy to gain his trust, even if he DOES agree to hear you out."

Fin sighed. "I…I know that. I know, too, that Brian and I just met – if you can call it that, even," he quipped. "But I can already see a lot of me in him. I really DO want a chance to get to know him better, Justin."

Tony reached over to clasp Fin's hand in support as Justin replied softly, "I hope you get that chance."

He motioned over to the nearby glass-topped table. "Make yourselves comfortable," he told them. "I have some major peacemaking to do."

As the two men took a seat nearby, Tony asked him as he looked around the backyard, "This looks like a pretty big place. Any idea where he might have gone?"

Justin smiled as he nodded. "Probably the place he _always_ goes to when he needs to let off some steam – the stables." He frowned as an odd look passed between Brian's father and Tony. "What?"

Tony grinned. "Amazing – that's where Fin goes back home when he needs to do the same thing."

Justin nodded and smiled as he prepared to leave. Just before he turned to go find his partner, he heard the sliding glass doors being opened as a blur came rushing out. "Jus'n!" Gus shouted at him, a thick slab of partially-eaten, crumbled dough held firmly in his hand as he came running up to the blond. "Mommy made me some peanut butter cookies!" He held up his sticky hand as evidence while Justin beamed back at him bemused.

"They sure did!" he told the little boy, as he scooped him in his arms to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "No thanks," he told Gus, laughing, as the boy held up the cookie to his lips for a taste. "Maybe later."

He placed the boy gently back down on the ground as he noticed their two guests eyeing Gus intently. "Gus," he said to the boy, turning his shoulders around to face the two men. "I'd like you to meet someone. This is Mr. Cassinelli," he told Gus, pointing over at the blond man sitting raptly nearby, "and this…." He wasn't quite sure how to introduce Brian's father – would it make sense to Gus? He had already met _one_ grandfather (great-grandfather, anyway) that he didn't know he had, although from what Brian had said, Gus and his "fishing buddy" were apparently getting along splendidly now. And would Brian resent it if Justin revealed who Fin was, especially if he wanted nothing to do with him? He knew how protective Brian was of his own son. Was it his place to make this introduction?

He battled internally with himself over what to do before finally deciding it wasn't for him to determine. Casting a slight look of regretful apology over at Brian's father, he told Gus, "And this…is Senator O'Connor."

Fin couldn't help staring at the little boy who he had only known through photos and Justin's sketch up until now. The lanky, brown-haired tyke reminded him so much of his own days as a child – the boy even had the same type of inquisitive look he would always get whenever his parents tried to explain something to him that he didn't quite understand.

As Gus shrunk back slightly from the strangers into Justin's protective arms, Fin couldn't help wondering what it would be like to have a relationship with not only his son, but his grandson as well. He fervently hoped it would still get that chance…..As he glanced over at Tony, who was peering at him sympathetically, he smiled slightly at his lover and nodded as if to say, _I know – I almost fucked this up for good, didn't I?_

"It's very nice to meet you, Gus," Fin responded politely, extending his hand out to try and shake the little boy's hand. Gus, however, merely continued to press into Justin's upper legs for comfort. Fin smiled in understanding as he retracted his hand.

"Gus! Are you out here?" Fin turned at the sound of a woman's voice coming from the open doorway. He and Tony looked over to observe a rather tall, blonde-haired woman who appeared to be around his son's age walking out onto the patio.

"There you are!" Lindsey exclaimed in exasperation as she spied Gus with Justin on the patio near the grill. She stopped in her tracks, however, to stare at the unexpected visitors seated at the round table next to her son and Justin. Even though she had never seen Fin O'Connor in person, she would have recognized this man as Brian's father anywhere. He was her friend's older twin in so many ways – some color and texture of hair, same angular profile, same nose, same lips, same face shape, same lanky, lean body type.

"Oh, my God," she murmured as she got closer to the group. She couldn't help gazing at the older man as she shook her head in disbelief.

Justin smirked – the man seemed to get that response from anyone who already knew Brian – it was unavoidable. "Lindsey…..This is Senator O'Connor and his partner, Tony Cassinelli. "Tony, Fin – this is Lindsey Peterson - one of Gus' moms and a good friend of Brian's. She and Mel are here for our wedding next week," he explained.

She smiled slightly in fascination at this unexpected encounter as she held out her hand to first Tony, then Fin. "I'm…I'm glad to meet you," she stated, eyeing the men curiously. She couldn't help gazing at the older image of her friend as she said, "I didn't know you were coming here," she told them, looking over at Justin in puzzlement for an explanation.

"Neither did we," he assured her softly; he glanced over at Gus, who had taken a seat nearby in a miniature, wooden lounge chair that Brian had had made especially for his visits to Britin; the boy was oblivious to the drama playing out around him as he continued to munch on his cookie while he played with a small, remote-controlled racecar on the tiled surface of the patio.

Fin smiled back at the woman who had been responsible for bringing his only great-grandson into the world; Justin had filled in him on the rather unusual arrangement between Mel, Lindsey, and his son. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he told her sincerely. He glanced over at her little boy. "He reminds me so much of me when I was his age," he told her wistfully.

She smiled. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime." A realization suddenly hit her as she asked, looking around, "Where's Brian?"

Justin rose quickly from his seat. "Actually…..if you wouldn't mind keeping Fin and Tony company for a while, I was just on my way to track him down."

"Where _is_ he?" she asked, noticing that their two guests seemed rather uncomfortable at the mention of Brian's name. "Does he even know they're here?"

Justin grimaced. "He knows, all right. That's why he's not here. Let's just say the initial introductions didn't go over real well."

"Oh," Lindsey responded perceptively; she couldn't say that surprised her much. She had heard from Justin that Brian's father initially didn't even want to meet him. Now all of a sudden he was here at Britin.

"You go ahead," she told Justin, nodding at him. _I've got a few questions to ask this man myself_. "I'll take care of them."

Justin smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Lindsey," he told her as he stood up to search for his partner.

As Justin disappeared from sight, Lindsey smiled back at the two men seated around the glass table. "I'm actually surprised to see you here, Senator," she told the dark-haired man as he gazed back at him unflinchingly. "I was under the impression you weren't interested in even meeting Brian."

Fin squared his shoulders as he and Tony shared a look between them. Tony nodded silently as if to encourage him before Fin answered simply," I changed my mind."

Lindsey silently digested that bit of information; it certainly didn't seem to square with what Justin had told her. The man had such definite ambitions to be Pennsylvania's next Governor he had been adamant that acknowledging his sexuality or meeting his gay son would leave his plans in shambles. Now all of a sudden, here he was at Britin?

"Really…and just what made you change your mind, Senator?"

Fin had no problems detecting the almost accusatory, pointed tone of Lindsey's voice; he tried to keep his own voice neutral as glanced over at Tony before answering, "My priorities changed," he told her quietly. "I realized whatever I accomplished in my role as Governor wouldn't replace what I would be giving up. Call me selfish," he added, shrugging as he reached over to take Tony's hand. "But when Tony moved out temporarily from our home, I realized what I would be losing, and what was most important. I've always wanted a family – a _real_ family – and I never thought I would have that. Now I realize I could," he added, as he glanced over at Gus, who was busily playing with his remote-control car.

Lindsey studied this man carefully, the man who looked so much like Brian. Could he be believed? Was he being sincere? Which one was the _real_ Fin O'Connor? This almost humble man speaking quietly to her, or the self-assured, no-holds-barred politician who would do anything to reach the lofty Governor's position?

"Why should we believe you now, Senator? From what Justin told me, you had no intention of meeting Brian. You were more concerned about your political career rather than having a family. How can we know you're not just saying this because all of a sudden you're decided it's more politically correct to produce a ready-made family, even one that's not exactly an optimal one?"

"Fin….." Tony warned his partner quietly as he felt the man tensing under his touch. He could tell by the other man's stance and his darkening eyes that he was getting perturbed by this pointed questioning by a woman who really knew nothing about him or his motives. Tony knew how rankled Fin would get if _anyone_ questioned his ethical standards; his partner's attempt at placating his son's friends was quickly wearing thin on him.

Fin took a deep breath. "Look…Ms. Peterson. I guess I can understand why you might think that. And I can't really come up with a good way to convince you that I'm being upfront. But I can assure you – if I say I'm going to do something, I WILL do it. If you think I've changed my mind because I have some secret, hidden agenda here….."

"I really don't know _what_ to think, Senator." Lindsey glanced over at her son. "I just don't want either Brian OR Gus being used as your pawn. You don't know what Brian has been through over the years."

"I have some idea," Fin countered. "Justin filled me in."

"I'm sure he did, at least as much as he was able to in the short time you spoke. But even I don't have all the facts. But I DO know it's made Brian very wary of forging any deep relationships with others. Until Justin came along, I don't think he even really knew how to love anyone properly, except maybe Gus. I just don't want to see him get hurt all over again. And I want have Gus get hurt in the process, either," she warned him. She met his scrutiny directly as she refused to back down.

Tony's eyes widened at the vehement tone in the woman's voice; he couldn't really blame her, though – this was a vast departure for Fin compared to his first decision not to get involved. And if HE had a son like Gus, he would want to make damn sure he wouldn't get hurt, either. On the other hand, he knew his partner well enough to know he was being forthright about his intentions and motives.

"Ms. Peterson, I've been with Fin for almost ten years now," Tony advised her. "I think I can be confident that I know him better than _anyone_. He never refused to meet Brian – he always wanted to meet him. And at first, yeah, he didn't want to do it because of his career ambitions. But he really HAS decided to risk the possible consequences. And he really DOES want a relationship with Brian...AND Gus."

He glanced over at the little boy who was busily absorbed in his toy vehicle. "I know just saying it doesn't prove it's true," Tony admitted easily enough. "I'm just asking on behalf of Fin, though, that you give him a chance to prove it. He really is a decent man, Ms. Peterson."

Lindsey twisted his mouth thoughtfully as she tried to determine whether to believe them or not. She huffed out a small breath before observing, "Your partner is very persuasive, Senator. He reminds me of Justin in a way."

Fin snorted as he nodded. "Yeah – try coming up against _both_ of them at the same time." He glanced over at Tony, who grinned back at him and raised one eyebrow in a silent challenge. "Very formidable to say the least."

She smiled slightly, conceding, "Well, I know how persuasive Justin can be. And persistent – he didn't win Brian's heart without a lot of hard work. But he did. And Brian trusts him completely. He would be lost now without him. Just the fact that he's agreed to get married to Justin is huge, believe me."

Fin nodded in agreement. "I have already been privy to Justin's character, as well as his devotion to Brian. He didn't like my original answer about meeting my son." He glanced over at his own partner. "Neither did _this_ blond," he pointed over at his partner as Tony made a face at him.

Despite reservations, Lindsey found herself warming toward this man who reminded her so much of Brian. Fervently hoping her favorable impression of him was correct, she replied soberly, "Justin just wants Brian to be happy. I'm just hoping you're being sincere about really wanting to be a part of his life."

"I understand," Fin said softly, sighing. "I just hope _Brian_ feels the same way."

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Britin – Stables

As he approached the large, wooden stables located a few hundred yards away from the house, Justin couldn't tell for sure if Brian had retreated to his normal sanctuary or not. The stables were located beyond a large swatch of trees that helped to provide the large house with privacy as well as shade. Unfortunately, it also kept most of the stables obstructed until you were almost upon them.

Now, as he stood at the side of the structure, he listened for any telltale sign of his partner. Two of their three horses slowly ambled over to him inside the paddock, no doubt hoping he was carrying an apple for them; he normally paused to fawn over them and provide them with a sweet treat, but not tonight.

"Sorry, guys," he murmured to them as he reached up to pet the side of _Spirit_, the larger and more curious of the pair. "Didn't have time tonight," he added, patting the massive head on the side as the horse's enormous, dark-brown eyes peered back at him and he softly whinnied.

Justin twisted his face in apology. "I'll make up for it tomorrow, okay?" he softly whispered as he reached over to pet _Twinkie_, the other horse. Justin remembered when Brian had informed him of this horse's name when he had first purchased it for Justin's birthday, telling him facetiously that if HE wasn't available for a "ride," at least this other twinkie would be.

Normally the thought of that would make him smile, but not tonight – he was too worried about his partner's frame of mind and too nervous about trying to get him to change his mind. He knew how influential he could normally be with his partner, but still, the man was extremely bullheaded. It took quite a bit for Brian to admit he was either wrong or even flexible when it came to certain "normal" situations; this one, of course, was by no means what anyone would call _normal_.

He sighed as he contemplated what mood Brian would be in – it was hard to tell. Chances were likely, however, that it wouldn't be a _good_ one.

He walked around to the side of the building where the double wooden gates were located, noticing that they had been slid back and were standing open. Knowing that undoubtedly meant that Brian was indeed inside, he took a deep breath and slowly walked through the entranceway, glancing around at the stalls located on either side for a sign of his partner.

He frowned as he noticed all of them empty, including the stall that normally held their one other remaining horse, Brian's favorite. He shook his head; where could the man be? Glancing outside, he noticed it was quickly becoming dark. Surely Brian hadn't saddled up the other horse and went for a ride, although frequently when he wanted to be alone and/or contemplate something, he often did just that.

Justin recalled how astounded he had been when Brian had brought the three horses home; he had been even _more_ astounded when Brian had deftly placed a saddle on one in particular – an imposing palomino by the name of Samson, of all things – and had proceeded to elegantly launch himself into the seat and trot around the paddock. Justin hadn't any clue the man even know what a horse was, let alone know how to ride one. But he had eventually discovered that Brian had been taught horseback riding one year when he and Michael had attended a summer camp during their junior high years. Brian said he never did figure out why his "parents" had agreed to let him go, but he suspected it was simply a case of wanting him out of their hair during the summer when he would have been home all day, every day. It was not exactly a testimonial to their devotion or love – merely a method of washing their hands of him when he wasn't in school.

As Justin walked back out of the stable, concerned for his partner's safety due to the rapidly-encroaching darkness, he was relieved to hear the familiar clip-clop of horse's hooves getting closer and closer. Several seconds later, he stood nearby as Brian came riding up atop Samson and slowed the horse down to a slow canter.

"Whoa, Big Guy," Brian told the horse soothingly as he waited for the large beast to come to a stop by Justin. He agilely dismounted the horse and tied his reins to a nearby fence post before turning to face the blond. "Is he gone?" he asked without any preamble.

Justin stared into the hazel eyes he knew so well that were currently reflecting a mixture of pain and anger. He had kept Brian in the dark too much lately; he wasn't about to start weaving another magical tale now. "No," he answered honestly. "I think you should talk to him, Brian."

Brian's eyes flashed incredulously. "Are you fucking _kidding_ me, Justin? The man makes it perfectly clear he wants nothing to do with me, and the minute he shows up here with his tail between his legs, a _changed man_," he said sarcastically, "you decide he's the most wonderful thing since James Dean."

Deciding to ignore the fact that Dean was _Brian's_ idea of a role model, not his, he responded, "That's not true, Brian. I don't really know _what_ to make of his showing up here. But he's right – he never told me he didn't want to meet you – he just felt the timing wasn't right. I didn't agree with him," the blond hastily added. "But that's the way he felt."

Brian crossed his arms, his stance defiant. "Uh, huh….and just what happened to change the great legislator's mind? Did an extremely large contingent of fags suddenly relocate here from San Francisco or something? Is being gay now the new boutique cause and he's decided to jump on the political bandwagon? Shit – what a fucking hypocrite he is!"

Justin walked closer to his partner to look him in the eye. "I don't know exactly what happened, Brian. But I DO know that Tony actually moved out of their house and into a hotel for a few days because he called him out on it and told him he couldn't live with their lie any longer. I imagine that threw a large dose of reality in his face."

Brian nodded. "Well, that's the first thing that makes sense. He didn't want to admit he was gay or had a gay son, but withholding sex sometimes works wonders, doesn't it?"

Justin scowled, remembering the one time – the _only_ time – he had even facetiously hinted at withholding sex from Brian, and that had been for Vic's House in order to "persuade" his partner to donate a rather expensive chair for a benefit. This, however, was totally different.

"Brian, I really believe he's realized being Governor isn't going to be worth shit if he doesn't have his partner – or you or Gus – in his life."

Brian huffed as he untied Samson's reins and turned to walk him into the stable; Justin took an frustrated breath before following closely behind him. "Brian, listen to me! He's going to hold a press conference tomorrow morning to announce he's running for Governor!"

"Well, whoopee do for him!" Brian snarled. "I really don't give a shit WHAT he does."

Justin reached out to grab Brian's lower arm and spin him around; the brunet's eyes flashed in irritation as Justin said to him, "Will you just fucking listen to me? He's going to not only announce his intention to run, but he's also promised to disclose his sexual orientation and divulge that he has a gay son. He's asked Tony to be up on the podium with him, too, so he can introduce him as his partner. Doesn't that count for _something_?"

Brian removed his arm from Justin's hand and began to walk Samson into his stall. As he tied the reins to a nearby post and closed the stall's door behind him, he turned to face his partner, who was standing silently nearby waiting for his response.

"The only thing it proves, Justin, is that he thinks it's somehow politically wise to come out of the closet now for some reason."

Justin shook his head. "Brian…..all I'm asking if that you talk to the man. What can that hurt?"

"Why _should_ I, Sunshine? He's never wanted anything to do with me." He reached up to place his left hand on Justin's cheek and rub it tenderly before he added, "I've already _got_ the family I need with you and Gus. And now I have my grandfather, too. I don't need him and I don't want to be a political _convenience_." He gently patted Justin's cheek before releasing his hold on the other man with the intention of picking up a firm-bristle brush nearby to groom Samson's tail.

Justin, however, wasn't buying Brian's nonchalance for a minute; yes, he did have him and Gus, and yes, he did have a loving, tolerant grandfather, but it just wasn't the same as having a _father_.

"Brian," he whispered as he peered intently into his partner's eyes as he grasped both of the brunet's upper arms to get his attention. "Brian, you never really had a father." He winced slightly as he didn't fail to miss the slight flash of pain that crossed his lover's face before a steely curtain abruptly was pulled down. He wasn't going to let that make him stop, though; in fact, it just made him that much more resolved to provide Brian with the decent father he deserved and somehow get through to this stubborn man. "This is your chance," he encouraged his fiancé. "Just talk to him, okay?" he looked up at Brian, his eyes expressive with not only hope but love, deep love, for this man who had been wronged so many times in the past and had still turned into a generous, nurturing father and supportive lover.

Brian sucked in a breath; he always had such a difficult time saying no to this man – Justin could almost talk him into _anything_ at this point. But this was nothing like anything he had ever encountered before with his fiancé. He just couldn't take the chance of being hurt once more. His voice was quieter now as he answered softly, "No, Justin. I don't care what you have to do – just get him off our property and make sure he knows I never want to see him again. You understand?" He stared back at Justin pointedly, his face a portrait of determination and unwavering resolve, leaving no room for any leverage on the issue.

Justin realized it, too. There would be no point in arguing with him – at least not tonight. That didn't mean he was going to drop the subject entirely. Something told him that Fin was being sincere about his change in philosophy. He was definitely going to be watching Brian's father at his press conference; he was quite curious as to how he would handle it, and maybe more importantly, how the _press_ would react, as well as the general public.

"Justin?" he heard Brian calling his name as he was jolted back to the present. "Did you hear what I said, Sunshine? I want him gone."

Justin sighed. He hesitated briefly before standing on his tiptoes to give Brian a soft kiss on the lips. "Yes, I understand," he murmured, shaking his head in frustration. "Will you be long?" he asked his partner softly.

Brian smiled tenderly at his lover as he shook his head. "I'll be back at the house in a few minutes. Just make sure our "company" is nowhere in sight by the time I get there, capiche?" He leaned in to nudge Justin by the forehead, his caressing breath causing a slight shiver in the slighter man before he pulled back to gaze into the crystal blue eyes.

Justin's bottom lip extended slightly in disappointment as he replied, "Yeah, yeah, I _capiche_. Just don't take too long, okay?" Brian had been gone all day and with the rather melancholy turn of events this evening, Justin found himself suddenly craving his partner's touch.

Brian twisted his lips. "I won't," he promised softly; he smiled slightly back at his partner before Justin nodded and turned to leave, his mind awash with thoughts of how to get two certain stubborn, obstinate, and independently proud men to come to a mutual understanding with each other. He turned once more briefly to watch Brian slowly pick up the nearby brush and return to Samson as he methodically began to brush the long, brown mane. Justin stood there for a few seconds longer watching his fiance silently, before, with a soft sigh, he began to walk back toward the house to deliver the disappointing news to the two men.


	17. Out in the Open

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

Fin looked up hopefully as he observed Justin returning to join them; he was disappointed to notice, though, that he was returning alone.

"You didn't find him?" he asked as Justin took an empty seat at the table. He and Tony were nursing mainly untouched drinks alone; Lindsey had excused herself a short while ago to take Gus upstairs for a bath, despite the tike's protest that it was too early to get ready for bed.

Justin sighed. "I found him all right – and he was in a foul mood, just as I suspected he would be." He watched as the older man's face fell.

"He still doesn't want anything to do with me, does he?"

"No…..he doesn't." Justin didn't see a reason to be evasive about it. "Can you really blame him, though, Senator? After all, you weren't the most receptive person to _him_ at first, either." Justin really _did_ want to believe Fin's intentions were nothing but honorable, and he _had_ tried to persuade Brian to do the same, but his main concern was his fiancé. Above all, he did not want him to be hurt any further; it was critical that Fin be honest and tell him the truth. The last thing he wanted was to encourage Brian to deepen a relationship with this man only to find out Brian was right all along – he was only doing it for some secret agenda that he felt would further his political ambitions.

He glanced over at Tony before adding, "I've tried to convince him to talk to you, Fin, but I have to be sure of something. ARE you really doing this because you've had a change of heart? Or have you somehow decided this tack is best in order to advance your political goals?"

"Now wait a minute, Justin," Tony rushed to his partner's defense. "I thought you believed him. How can you accuse him of not being sincere here? Do you know how much this might wind up costing him?" His blue eyes flashed in irritation over the implied insult as he stared back at the other blond.

"Take it easy, Counselor," Fin chided him tenderly with a small smile as he reached over and patted Tony's lower arm. "Can you really blame Justin? You would do the same for me, wouldn't you? In fact, I would venture to say you just _did_."

Tony's look of defiance slowly softened as Fin's words sunk in. "Yeah…..I guess I would," he conceded grudgingly as he glanced back at Justin; the look of incredulity and anger was replaced now with something more contrite. "I'm sorry, Justin," he murmured. "I just get riled up when someone tries to attack Fin. Lately it seems like that's ALL they're doing, especially when the press is involved."

Justin nodded. "I understand how you feel, Tony." He twisted his face wryly. "I get the same way with Brian when I feel like someone's not giving him the respect he deserves, too. But I need to make sure you two are being totally upfront with me here; the last thing I want is for Brian to get hurt again. I was the one who initiated this whole thing, so if it blows up in his face I would be the one to blame."

Fin stared at the determined, resolved young man sitting next to him who obviously only had Brian's best interests at heart.

"I can't really do anything more specific to convince you – OR my son," Fin told Justin. "I can't go back and undo what's already been done; the only thing I CAN do to prove my intentions is go public with it, as much as I fucking _hate_ the idea of hanging my laundry – and my private life – out to dry for everyone to see." He shook his head. "The press is going to eat me alive tomorrow for _this_ one, boys. If I get out of my press conference tomorrow with my skin intact – AND my career – I'll be damned lucky."

Justin considered that thought carefully; if Fin was doing this for political gain, he certainly couldn't see how that would be the result in light of what he was about to reveal. Despite the gains recently in the area of gay rights and gradual acceptance, the progression was still small and incremental; there certainly wouldn't much to be gained, then, by coming out in such a grandiose way, unless Fin really _was_ sincere about wanting to further his relationship with Brian.

"Okay, then," Justin answered him firmly, making up his mind about Brian's father. "I'll talk to Brian about it again. But I won't promise anything. When everything's said and done, the decision has to be his; I'll go along with whatever he decides. Are you prepared to still bring everything out into the open tomorrow, no matter what?"

Fin snorted softly at Justin as he turned to his own partner. "Are you sure you don't have an undiscovered son somewhere yourself? This man could have been an attorney in a previous life." He could certainly see that while Justin may appear to be a young, inexperienced just-barely-an-adult man, in reality this blond was as protective and mature as a full-blooded pit bull when it came to Brian.

Justin and Tony exchanged grins as Fin's partner replied, "He would have been a worthy one, too. Just be glad he's on OUR side, now."

"Trust me – I AM," Fin assured them. He sobered as he added softly, "I guess there's no chance I'll get an opportunity to talk to him again tonight, is there?"

Justin slowly shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "In fact," he added somewhat embarrassed, "he told me he wants you gone before he gets back from the stables." He paused for a few seconds before adding, "By the way, I'm sorry I didn't properly introduce you to Gus earlier. It's just…I thought that sort of introduction should be done by Brian, not me. I hope you understand."

Fin let out a breath. "Yeah…..I understand, Justin. And actually, I agree; he should be the one to decide how much to tell him. I just hope someday Brian actually _does_ let Gus know exactly who I am." He smiled. "He's an adorable little boy. And he reminds me so much of myself when I was his age. I hope the next time I see you and Brian – that is, if there IS a next time," he added ironically, "I can bring some childhood photos and show you."

Justin nodded silently as he watched Fin rise from his chair and push himself back from the table. "I think it's time we go, Tony."

Tony looked up at him. "You sure?"

Fin nodded. "Yeah…..I need to give my son some space for now. It's going to take some time – I know that," he said, looking down at Justin. "I just hope he decides he wants the same thing I want eventually."

As Tony rose to stand beside him, Fin took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go, Counselor. We've got a big day tomorrow."

Tony's eyes lit up at his declaration of "we." He nodded as he squeezed Fin's hand in return before releasing it. "I'm with you, Senator," he whispered tenderly.

As they turned to go, Justin asked, "What time IS your press conference tomorrow?" He was anxious to watch it – not only to see the media's and public's reaction to his disclosure, but also to try and hopefully get his partner to watch it as well. Perhaps if Brian could be assured that his father really WAS following through on his promises, it would start to break the ice just a little between father and son.

"I've got it scheduled for 10:00," Fin told him. "Do you think you can get Brian to watch it?" he asked hopefully; it was important to him that his son know he was being sincere about his intentions.

"I don't know," Justin answered honestly. "But I'll try – that's all I can promise, Fin."

The Senator nodded. "That's all I can expect at this point, Justin. I appreciate it. Just let him know I'm going through with it no matter what, okay?"

Justin nodded as they turned to leave. Just before they left, he added one more thing. "Fin?"

The brunet turned slightly. "Yes?"

"You probably remember Brian and I are getting married this Saturday."

The distinguished-looking Senator nodded.

"I…I can't promise Brian will want you here, but I'm hoping he will."

The steel-gray eyes softened as the Senator replied quietly, "Yeah…..me, too."

* * *

From the relative obscurity of several large shade trees and the rapidly-encroaching darkness, Brian watched as his father and partner turned to go. He was surprised that he didn't feel relief at his father's departure as he had anticipated; he actually felt disappointed, even sad.

Why should he care after all this time _what_ the man did? He didn't even know about him until recently. He didn't need yet another member of his "family" that he couldn't trust or depend upon; like he told Justin, he already HAD his family. So why did it hurt so fucking much as he watched his father leaving?

He bit his lower lip as his eyes followed them walking toward the side of the house and disappearing. He stood there, finding himself inexplicably feeling emotions he couldn't quite place, before he straightened up his shoulders and took a deep breath to compose himself.

As Justin watched the two men leave, he heard a noise nearby and glanced over to the side, his eyes focusing on his fiancé as Brian walked up to join him and take a seat beside him. "I see our _guests_ finally left," he stated casually, nodding toward the side of the house. His indifferent-sounding tone totally belied the swirl of emotions currently churning inside him.

The blond nodded, studying Brian silently. His almost cocky, nonchalant voice sounded like he didn't give a damn – even approved of his father leaving – but somehow Justin knew there was more to it than that. "I did what you asked," he finally said softly, glancing over at the man he loved.

Brian peered back over at him. "But you still don't approve."

Justin's eyes were large and unblinking as he looked at his partner. "It's not my place to approve or disapprove, Brian," he told his fiancé.

Brian tilted his head in disbelief. "Come on, Sunshine. I've never been able to prevent you from speaking your mind, so don't let me stop you _now_."

The blond inhaled a ragged breath and exhaled it slowly before responding. "I _believe_ him, Brian – I really do. I know I could be wrong – but fuck, I certainly HOPE not. His press conference is scheduled for 10:00 and something tells me it'll be broadcast all over the television stations in the state, in addition to the web. Won't you at least watch it and judge for _yourself_?"

Brian sighed; were they going to go down that road yet _again_? He trusted Justin implicitly and thought his fiancé had great judgement normally, but he also knew that in matters involving the heart, his partner's intuition was sometimes clouded. In this matter, there was just too much on the line – not only HIS heart but more importantly, his _son's_.

"Justin…..you can decide to ride off happily into the sunset with my _Dear Old Dad_, but I'm not. It's just a ploy, believe me. He's got some ulterior motive for doing what he's doing. Politicians _always _do…."

Justin grimaced; trying to convince Brian to give his father a chance was going to be even harder than he thought. He decided for the moment not to keep pushing it; besides, something told him despite Brian's vehement protestations to the contrary, somehow his partner would wind up watching the press conference anyway, if nothing else simply to satisfy his curiosity.

"Where's Sonny Boy?" Brian asked as he suddenly noticed the object of his concern wasn't anywhere around; even if he couldn't see his son, he would know immediately if he was around or not – Gus _always_ made his presence known….

"He's inside with Lindsey," Justin reassured him as he noticed Brian relax a little. "She wanted to give him a bath before bedtime."

Brian nodded. "Speaking of bedtime….."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Subtle as always," he quipped as he rose from his chair to observe Brian smirking back at him, their normal expressions firmly back in place, at least for the time being. "Is it time for _your_ bedtime, too?"

"Damn straight it is," Brian growled, tongue in cheek as he rose from his chair. As Justin got up from his own place at the table, Brian walked the few steps over to his side and wrapped his arms around the lithe body from behind. He placed a small nip at Justin's lower left earlobe before whispering, "All that time riding Samson the steed has got _this_ steed horny as hell to take a ride with someone _else_."

Justin shivered at the sexy timber of that growl. No matter how many years they had been together now, or how many more there would be in the future, he had no doubt that his body – and his heart – would always respond the same way to this man. He also knew this was Brian's way of pushing thoughts about something else from his mind, at least for the time being. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, Justin decided; after today's events, he could use a little _distraction_ himself.

He turned around in Brian's arms, placing his own arms around his lover's neck and giving his partner a soft kiss that promised much more. "I think that can be arranged," he whispered tenderly, before taking Brian's hand and walking with him toward the sliding glass, French doors into the house.

* * *

As they lay there together an hour later, Brian's light, regular breathing pronounced that he was asleep as Justin lay with Brian's body spooned against his. Justin found, though, that he couldn't get to sleep, even though normally after they made love and his partner's arms enfolded him in a firm, almost possessive embrace, he usually didn't have any problems drifting to sleep.

When they had come upstairs and quickly doffed their clothing, Justin would have assumed in light of what had happened earlier, Brian's tumultuous emotions would have translated into some quick, passionate, almost ruthless fucking, which Justin actually wouldn't have minded – he liked it rough sometimes.

But once they were both in bed, he had been surprised. Brian's overtures to him hadn't been hurried and spontaneous, or forceful and edgy. Rather, Brian had spent an almost unheard amount of time merely caressing his body softly, running his hands over his face in a light whisper, and then down his arms and his chest, his hazel eyes locked on his so intently that it made Justin's body shiver in its intensity. He could sense that tonight, Brian didn't want to speak, at least not with his voice; but his touch and the way he looked at him as he worshipped his body spoke volumes. Tonight hadn't been a bawdy, boisterous round of fucking; it had been sweet, tender lovemaking. It had been a reassurance to the man he loved that he understood the pain he was going through and would stand by him, no matter what he decided about his father.

He thought briefly of what was to come tomorrow with the press conference before he felt Brian's arms tighten around him as he snuggled further into his partner's embrace and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Pennsylvania Turnpike - Same Time_

"You've been awfully quiet."

Fin turned to glance at Tony in the passenger seat; they had been in the car now for an hour and still were about ninety minutes outside of Harrisburg. He tilted his head slightly. "Just thinking," he said softly.

"Yeah, I know. Your _thinking_ has been loud enough to drown out everything else."

Fin gave him a perplexed glance before he continued. "So which one are you concentrating on – the press conference tomorrow or your son?"

Fin huffed slightly as he returned his eyes to the road. "Both," he admitted. "You can't really separate one from the other – just like us," he teased the other man; his initial smile, however, faltered as he soberly considered just what he was about to do tomorrow. The reaction to his revelations could spell the difference between success and defeat in a heartbeat.

"No, I guess not," Tony agreed quietly. "But for what it's worth, Fin, I'm so glad you're doing this." For a while after he had moved into the Ritz, Tony wasn't sure if he and Fin would ever reconcile again permanently; he knew how much the Governor's race meant to his partner, and how strongly he believed that it would provide him with the leverage to do a lot of good in the area of gay rights. To be doing what Fin was doing tomorrow took an enormous leap of faith that everything would turn out right somehow no matter what the consequences.

Fin glanced back over at his partner; his tone was serious as he replied, "I meant what I said, Tony. If I lost you, especially, I would never forgive myself, no matter WHAT I might gain. And as much as I want a relationship with my son and grandson, losing _you_ would have been the worst of all."

Tony's eyes teared over; he knew all along that Fin loved him but to hear this sort of declaration from him out loud was unheard of. Fin was always a much more hands-on, demonstrable person when it came to revealing his feelings; he seldom said the words of devotion that Tony longed to hear outright. This was, indeed then, a rare verbal declaration of his love for him and he relished in the brief luxury.

He reached over to squeeze Fin's thigh, not trusting his voice to respond right away. It didn't matter, though, as Fin smiled at him – he knew him so well by now that he understood inherently why he wasn't speaking.

There was a hint of almost insecurity as Fin asked, "You _are_ coming back with me to the house tonight, aren't you?" He didn't take his eyes off the road, perhaps for fear that Tony would tell him no.

Tony smiled; even with all the power and influence this man had in the Senate, when it came to their personal relationship he could still be so unsure of himself at times. "Of _course _I am, you idiot. I thought we already settled all that." He gave his partner's thigh another squeeze.

Fin twisted his mouth wryly. "Just making sure," he said in relief. "I didn't want any more surprises between now and tomorrow. I'm going to need all the support I can get."

Tony reached up with his hand, laying the back of it against his partner's cheek as Fin leaned into the welcome caress. "You've got it, Baby," he whispered. "You've got it."

_

* * *

_

Next Morning – Liberty Diner

"Justin? Sweetie? Are you listening to me?" Emmett frowned; he and Justin had been having a conversation for the past ten minutes over breakfast but he had the distinct impression it was a _one-way_ conversation. Justin was there in body but little else. "Justin!" he said a little more loudly.

"Huh?" Justin said, jolted out of his reverie.

Emmett sighed in exasperation. "I was asking if you had decided on the after-dinner drinks for the reception."

Justin smiled backed sheepishly at his friend. "Oh…..what were they again?"

"Justin Taylor, what in the hell is _wrong_ with you? If you don't mind me asking," he added hastily, thinking that last part might have come off just a bit more harshly than he had intended. "It's like you've got your head up your ass – and Brian's not even in the room this time," he teased.

Justin sighed. "I'm sorry, Em….I've got a lot on my mind. Worst part is, most of has nothing to do with the wedding Saturday." As Emmett eyed him in puzzlement, he decided that perhaps it was time to let someone _else_ in on what was going on. As their wedding planner – and a good friend – he felt Emmett fit the bill at the moment.

He would have loved to have told Daphne – she had been the first one he had thought of when this all came into play – but at the time he hadn't wanted anyone else to know until Brian had had a chance to find out. Daphne, unfortunately, was off at medical school back East anyway and wouldn't be back until later this week just in time for the nuptials at Britin. He knew as a first-year resident, she was working her ass off for sometimes 24 hours straight at the hospital; the last thing he wanted to do was screw up her training.

"Em," he began somewhat hesitantly as the din of the diner's patrons and clanging silverware faded into the background. "I need to tell you something." He wondered briefly it he was doing this for Em's benefit or himself before the words began to spill out of him like a gushing waterfall.

* * *

"Oh…..My…..God," Emmett murmured fifteen minutes later, the remnants of his pancake breakfast long ago forgotten as Justin wove his unbelievable tale about Brian's adoption. "And I thought Brian's asshole attributes were because of the Kinneys."

"Em, cut it out," Justin told him crossly. "This is _serious_. His father's going to come out publicly this morning, and it'll probably wind up on national TV as well as all over the internet." He glanced over at the round, plastic restaurant clock over at the top of the wall across from their barstools. "In about thirty minutes, in fact."

Emmett shook his head. "No _wonder _your wedding drinks were taking a back seat," he commented. "I imagine the main hetero public's not going to like the Senator's topic this morning."

Justin sighed. "No, I imagine they won't. I can kind of understand his dilemma, Em. He probably _can _do more good as governor than as a state senator. But starting out with a big, fat lie is no way to gain the trust of your constituency. It would just blow up in his face later."

"Do you think Brian will ever accept him?"

Justin shook his head slightly. "Hard to say," he finally answered thoughtfully. "He's not happy that his father didn't want to meet him initially, and I can certainly understand that. _I_ wasn't too happy about that, either, and neither was Fin's partner. And Brian's concerned about Gus being in the middle of all this now."

He idly stirred his straw in his glass of orange juice. "But I really think he's a decent man, Em," he said, glancing back over at his friend. "And Brian could use a father – a _real_ father. I think Fin could be a good father – and a good _grandfather_, if Brian would only let him."

He stood up from his stool and pushed it back from the counter; as much as loved her like a second mother, he was vastly relieved that Debbie hadn't been working this morning, or the whole conversation with Emmett wouldn't have happened. He just couldn't risk telling Debbie, or it would be all over Pittsburgh in no time, despite her best efforts. Debbie just didn't know _how_ to keep exciting news to herself, no matter HOW good her intentions might be. He knew, however, that Emmett would keep his confidence until which time everyone else could know, and he was actually glad to have been able to bounce the situation off someone else for a change.

"I've got to go," he told Emmett.

"We can watch it here," Emmett told him, pointing over to a small television mounted in a corner near the ceiling that had recently been installed in a feeble attempt to counteract some of the sports bar traffic; with the advent of flat-screen televisions, they had succeeded in taking away some of the diner's business, especially the lunch and dinner crowds.

Justin shook his head as he smiled at his friend. "No, thanks, Em….I want to watch it somewhere where I can hear it clearly – I don't want to miss one word of it. And don't forget – please don't tell anyone else what I told you until Brian decides he wants everyone to know, okay?"

Emmett nodded in understanding, pretending to zip his lips shut. "Don't worry, Baby – these lips are sealed for the near future except in cases of eating or fucking."

Justin laughed. "Thanks, Em." Just before he opened the door to leave, he said, "Oh, and Em? Let's go with the caramel-vanilla martinis."

_

* * *

_

Kinnetik – 9:45 a.m.

Brian had been looking at the same page on his laptop now for the past fifteen minutes; he knew he should be working on the newest campaign for one of his biggest clients – Northrop Aeronautical – but he found his mind occupied with something else: his father's upcoming press conference at 10:00.

He still had a hard time even associating the word _father_ with the influential Senator Fintan O'Connor, the man who might very well wind up being the next Governor of Pennsylvania. At least, that was the case until today; if the man actually goes through with what he promised yesterday, his political career may very well wind up being shot to hell in a hand basket.

He _still_ thought the man must have some sort of ulterior motive for deciding to place his political career out on the line today; why else would he be shooting himself in the foot just before he stood to earn one of the most prestigious positions in the State?

_Maybe because he REALLY does mean what he's been telling you_, his heart was trying to say to him. His head, though, was another matter. He just couldn't believe that a man who had been so vehement about not disclosing his sexual persuasion for fear of ruining his political career would almost in an instant do a 180-degree turn and decide to disclose everything, and in a nationwide arena no less.

He glanced down at the lower right-hand corner of his computer screen. _9:55 a.m. _

He sighed as he stared at the time slowly going by…9:56, 9:57, 9:58…

He pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Yeah, Brian?"

"Cynthia…Hold all my calls until I tell you otherwise."

Before he changed his mind, he quickly typed in the website address for CNN news and waited for a familiar man to appear on the screen…...

_

* * *

_

Harrisburg, PA – Fintan O'Connor's outer office

"This is Haley Brewster with WHBG news, coming to you live from the State Capitol building in downtown Harrisburg. We are awaiting a news conference being held by State Senator Fintan O'Connor, the man who most political pundits predict will be Pennsylvania's next Governor. There is a good indication that Senator O'Connor will be making the official announcement from his office this morning that he will, indeed, be running for Governor next year."

Justin sat engrossed in front of the flat-screened television at the loft; he had barely made it back to Brian's in time to rush over and turn it on to listen to Senator O'Connor's speech. As he sat nervously on the couch, he jiggled his legs up and down anxiously, unable to take his eyes away from the screen. He bit his upper lip pensively as he waited for the senator to appear in his office.

A virtual sea of microphones had been set up in front of his desk awaiting his announcement. The reporter on screen presently – someone from one of the local stations – was indicating that O'Connor would be taking questions directly after his statement.

_He's braver than I think I would be under those circumstances_, Justin couldn't help thinking. If Fin really DID go through with his intentions, he was undoubtedly going to be battered with questions and accusations of every ilk; he definitely didn't envy the man at the moment as he, along with several thousand, possibly, millions of other people, impatiently waited for the man of the hour to appear.

_

* * *

_

Senator O'Connor's Private Office

Fin and Tony sat huddled together on the leather sofa, hands clasped together as they quietly reflected on what they were about to do for the first time – appear together, officially, as partners.

Tony's head was presently lying on the other man's shoulder as he heard the somewhat ragged breathing of his lover nearby. He slowly rubbed his fingers over the other man's hand as he whispered, "You're sure you want to go through with this?"

He could feel Fin's nod of his head as he replied quietly and with a rather surprising degree of resolve. "Yeah, Baby, I'm totally sure. It's time I do this."

He took a deep breath to gather his courage before slowly disentangling himself from the other man and standing up. He extended his hand downward as Tony reached up to grasp it firmly.

As he allowed himself to be pulled up to face his partner, he smiled at the brunet and reached up to brush some errant hair from the other man's bangs. "That's better," he murmured. "Have to look pretty for the camera." As Fin twisted his face and rolled his eyes, he added, "and no, Fin," he gently corrected the other man as the brunet looked at him in confusion. "It's WE. It's time WE do this – together."

Fin curled his lips under in affection, his heart swelling with love and gratitude for this man's devotion and loyalty. "I stand corrected, Counselor – WE," he answered as he reached down to pull the other man's head to his for a sweet-but-all-too-brief kiss before they broke apart.

He exhaled a large breath before saying, "Let's do this, then, partner." Tony nodded as he slowly followed Fin toward the door separating them from relative privacy to blinding disclosure.

_

* * *

_

Kinnetik – 10:00 a.m.

Brian didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he had to let out a large whoosh of air; his eyes were fixed intently on the computer screen presently showing a sleek, contemporary, glass-and-dark-cherry-wood desk; a massive tangle of microphones was already set up directly in front of the piece of furniture, waiting for its occupant to appear and provide what everyone thought was a foregone announcement that he was officially a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania now.

Brian stood there transfixed, not quite sure why he had decided at the last minute to access the website to watch his father's announcement but knowing that he couldn't look away even if he wanted to. He knew he had to see for himself – see if his father really would go through with his promise. As he noticed the well-known senator finally walking in from a back room with his partner in tow closely behind, however, Brian began to think that perhaps the Senator really _would_ go through with it.

He watched as O'Connor walked over to his desk and stood behind it rather than sitting down; he motioned for Tony to join him as the attorney walked over to stand directly to Fin's left while a bank of cameras could be heard clicking in the background to record the event live. The flashes going off in the room rivaled a large fireworks display as everyone quieted down expectantly for the Senator to speak.

"Good Morning," O'Connor began quietly; his face was serious as he stood up straight in front of the sea of faces staring back at him. Brian could see him take a quick breath before continuing. "Thank you all for coming here. I will have a fairly brief statement to make and then will open up the floor for questions."

As he watched his father, Brian couldn't help comparing the two of them; the man's mannerisms and even the way he dressed and carried himself was so similar to his. He observed O'Connor glancing over at Tony, who smiled at him and nodded slightly in silent encouragement for him to continue.

"I first of all want to express my gratitude to those constituents who have loyally supported me and my platform over the last ten years. Without your support, I never would have been able to forge through with programs that I know have benefitted numerous residents of this great state that I have come to love and respect."

"I am first of all putting to bed all those rumors these past few months that have been swirling around, and I am today officially announcing my candidacy for Governor of Pennsylvania." Brian could hear the murmuring in the crowd growing louder over the proclamation that everyone pretty much decided was a done deal before it was even emitted from O'Connor's lips.

"While I feel I have accomplished a great deal as the State Senator from Dauphin County, I am hopeful that if I am elected Governor, it will permit me even greater rein to accomplish even more."

He took another deep breath and paused; his heartbeat began to speed up. This was it – the defining moment that he had been both looking forward to – and dreading.

"Before I start my official campaign for Governor, however, I feel it is necessary to disclose some information that, in a typical individual life's, would be personal and frankly none of anyone else's business. However, I _also_ recognize that as a public figure, I am subject to a different set of privacy standards."

"That being said, I would like to introduce to you someone who has been a staunch supporter of my work for the past ten years and…," he glanced over at Tony, who took his hand and squeezed it. They could hear a few soft gasps from the crowd as several reporters noticed the action and Fin didn't rebuff the gesture but welcomed it as he grasped the hand firmly for support. "And…the _love_ of my life – my partner, Tony Cassinelli." His voice was strong and proud as he stared resolutely at the crowd grouped around his desk, daring them to malign or condemn his statement.

"I realized I was gay as a young adult in my twenties," he went on to explain. "And I was lucky enough to meet this man who has stood by me through good times as well as bad." He twisted his lips as he added, "Frankly, I suppose I'm not sure if this qualifies right now as a good or a bad time." He reconsidered that statement quickly as he decided, "Actually, as long as this man is beside me, it's definitely a _good_ time."

He spoke louder now to be heard over the increasingly rising voices of the media who were now pushing forward to hopefully be one of the first reporters to ask him a question in light of the astounding piece of news he had just delivered. "I have one more announcement I need to disclose," he told the crowd. "Please! I will take questions shortly!" he admonished them in an attempt to quell the buzz of voices being heard; fortunately, at least for the moment, they did as he asked and allowed him to finish.

"I do not feel it right to disclose his name as we just met yesterday, but I also want to reveal that I recently learned that I have a son – and a grandson," he added, his face smiling at the recollection of the little boy who reminded him so much of himself as a child. "Unbeknownst to me – _unbeknownst to me_," he repeated louder; he raised his hands in a silent plea for quiet as the din began to increase once again at yet another incredible announcement coming from him, "someone I had a brief relationship with in high school bore my child and gave him up for adoption soon after his birth. His mother has since died unfortunately, and it was only recently that I became aware I even had a son."

Brian continued to watch raptly as the drama unfolded.

"Please – let me finish," Fin pressed as he looked over at Tony, who nodded in encouragement again for him to continue. "As I said, I only just met my son and grandson yesterday. As you can imagine, it has not only been a shock for me but for him as well. So out of respect for them, I do not feel at liberty to provide you with, nor do I feel it is frankly anyone's concern to know about, his name or other identifying information. I am hoping you will respect my need for his – and _my _– privacy during our time of adjustment."

Brian huffed at that statement; as much as he wanted to believe it, he STILL thought there was more to this than met the eye. He was concerned about HIS privacy now? Was it possible the man was truly being straighforward with him?

Back at his office, Fin let out a large breath of relief over finally disclosing the truth – the _entire _truth. And as scary as he knew it would be – and he had been petrified the entire time before and during his speech – now that he was done, he suddenly felt like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wasn't so naïve, however, to think that the worst was over – most likely, the worst was yet to come…

He pursed his lips together as he glanced once more over at Tony and reluctantly released his grip on the blond's hand. "I will now take questions," he said simply as he waited for the flood to begin.

He wasn't disappointed; there were suddenly so many voices shouting to be heard that he couldn't make out a single question, although something told him they were most likely asking a variation of the SAME one. "Wait!" he said, holding up his hands. "One at a time, please!" he pleaded with them. The room was quickly becoming a virtual circus as everyone continued to shout their questions out together.

He jumped as he heard a shrill, piercing whistle next to him; he turned as he witnessed Tony taking a couple of his fingers away from his mouth where he had just managed to get everyone's attention and quiet the room at the same time. "The man said – one at a time," he quietly told them in his most professional attorney voice. "You," he simply said, pointing to a dark-haired, wiry-looking man standing in the front row.

"James Beasley from Keystone Communications," the man curtly introduced himself. "Senator, you have always portrayed yourself as a crusader for the silent majority, who mostly encompasses a heterosexual lifestyle. Don't you feel in light of what you just told us that you have betrayed the very people you purport to represent?"

"No, not at all," Fin responded firmly. "It doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is if you're laid off and unemployed, unable to get health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, a senior unable to pay their prescription costs, or an unwed mother worrying about how she's going to feed her children at night."

"And if I may venture to say it, Mr. Beasley, I imagine there are a lot of my constituents who are not just your "typical," (Fin raised his hands to display an imaginary set of quotation marks) straight couple but also a lot of gay couples who are living in a loving, monogamous relationship as well. When it comes to those types of needs, sexual orientation doesn't matter."

As everyone in the room again erupted into a spontaneous bid for the Senator's attention, Tony pointed authoritatively to another member of the media – a red-haired woman in a navy-blue suit in the center of the room. "Lisa Gambrel from Hunter News Channel," she introduced herself. "Don't you still feel, Senator, that you have been living a lie? How do you think your loyal voters in the past will feel about this startling revelation? Aren't you afraid they will feel like they won't be able to trust you now?"

Fin took a breath to gather his thoughts; he had been expecting this type of question before he even begun. "There may be some who might feel that way," he conceded. "I admit I have not been upfront about my personal life, and I know being in the spotlight forces you to be more open about your lifestyle, whether you want to be or not. But I truly think the public will ultimately choose to support and vote for me based on my legislative record in the senate, not because my sexual orientation happens to follow or not follow theirs. The people of Pennsylvania are a very intelligent, well-informed group, and I feel when everything's said and done, they will take a good, long look at my past record and those of my opponents and decide that I have been the one who has consistently fought for their best interests these past ten years."

"As I said before, when you are struggling in today's economy, it doesn't matter whether you're straight or gay – we all have the same types of issues that need to be addressed."

As Tony pointed to another reporter, who he recognized as working for one of the local television stations, he was surprised to hear that the man wanted to direct his question at _him_ rather than the Senator.

Before he could respond, however, his partner promptly interrupted him. "Tony is only here as my partner and to support me this morning – he is NOT here to take questions from any of you," he said protectively. He could never repay his partner for being up there with him in the harsh glare of the spotlight laying their relationship bare to practically the entire world – he never expected him, however, to be subject to the same intense interrogation, nor should he have to be.

"No, Fin, it's okay," Tony told him as he briefly grasped the brunet's sleeve and turned to look at the reporter. "I have nothing to hide – ask the question," he said just a little defiantly.

"What about _your_ career, Mr. Cassinelli? I happen to know you are a very auspicious attorney here in Harrisburg. Aren't you afraid this disclosure of your relationship will hurt your standing here in the community?"

Fin noticed the set jaw of his partner as the ice-blue eyes boldly stared back at the man. "No, I'm not," he said resolutely. "I have never made a secret of my sexuality to my associates," he told the reporters. "And I would never allow myself to be employed by a firm that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation or race or sex, for that matter. To me, that would be hypocritical in light of my profession."

The reporter from the local station, however, was not finished. "But you and the Senator have had a secret relationship now for ten years, by his own admission. How can you be so upfront with your own employer but manage to hide your partnership with this man all that time? Isn't that hypocritical on your _own_ part?"

He and Fin exchanged a mutual look of concession; in a way, the man was right – it HAD been hypocritical of them to hide their relationship when he was representing himself as a champion of anti-discrimination in his own law firm. But he had kept their relationship a secret only because of his love for Fin and his request to keep it under wraps; it had _never _been his preference.

"I'd like to answer that," Fin told the crowd before Tony could construct a reply. "Tony _always_ wanted to be upfront about our relationship," he told the media. "It was MY idea not to divulge it, due to a misguided notion that it would prevent me from reaching one of my most desired goals – to serve the people of Pennsylvania as Governor."

"And, to be honest, it just might," he conceded as he unflinchingly stared out into the now silent crowd of reporters waiting on his every word. "I may be wrong – there just might be enough narrow-minded people out there to prevent me from reaching the Governor's chair and being able to make a difference in so many people's lives. But I choose to think that I know the people of Pennsylvania better than that. I choose to think that they can put aside any unimportant differences and concentrate on what really needs to done to once again make Pennsylvania the strong, thriving state it once was and I know it could be. All I'm asking the voters to do is look at my past record objectively and decide who is best to serve them in the future."

As the reporters once again clamored for yet one more chance to ask a question, Fin decided enough was enough; there would, no doubt, be plenty of other pointed questions to come. For now, however, he had done what he had to do – reveal his love and devotion to the man beside him, and make a sincere plea to run for Governor without the taint of homophobic fear mongers dominating the campaign. The rest was up to the public now – and the media's slant on his news conference today.

"That's all for today, ladies and gentlemen," he told them as he reached for Tony's hand. "Thank you for coming." And with that statement, he quickly turned with Tony and pushed his way through the crowd as they continued to pelt him right and left with questions.

A few seconds later, thanks in large part to a pair of burly security guards, he and Tony were finally able to escape through the back door into his private office. They both stood with their backs to the now closed door in relative silence, trying to regain a normal breathing pattern after the whirlwind that had just taken place.

Fin was the first one to speak. He exhaled a breath before saying facetiously, "Well…..that was fun, wasn't it?" He turned to give his partner a sideways glance and smiled.

Tony shook his head. "Yeah….I haven't had that much fun since the mayor's wife had an affair with that city councilmember and I had to try and defend his ass in front of the _rest_ of city council."

His voice softened as he continued. "I have never been as fucking proud of you as I am right now, though, Fin. I know how difficult that must have been for you."

Fin turned his head to look at his partner, his eyes locked on the blue ones he knew so well and could now openly gaze at in public. "It wasn't as difficult as the thought of never seeing you again," he told him earnestly. He reached over to place his hand on the blond's cheek and caress it. "I love you so much, Tony Cassinelli. You're my touchstone. I could never do _any_ of this without you."

Tony blinked the tears back from his eyes at the heartfelt sentiment. "You'll never have to, Fin," he told his lover as he reached his own hand up to clasp the other man's still resting on his cheek. "We're in this together now – forever."


	18. Search for the Truth

_Kinnetik – same time_

Brian slowly closed his laptop and leaned back in his office chair. He had watched the entire news conference intently and had spent an additional half hour listening to commentaries from several webcasts afterward picking apart every word his father had said.

He had to grudgingly admit that his father had more than stood up for himself during the news conference, in spite of his belief that he had some sort of political motive in mind when he did it. He noticed that he _did_ have his partner front and center during the whole event as well; in fact, Brian had to admire Cassinelli's balls in facing the media circus that had confronted them. He had more than met their skepticism and even outright hostility head on.

He let out a breath and bit his lower lip in thought as he contemplated what he had seen and heard in the past hour; he hadn't become such a wildly successful ad executive by not weighing the evidence and making a rational, educated decision afterward, and his brain was fervently trying to tell him that maybe, just maybe, Fin O'Connor was being straightforward with his intentions of wanting to establish a relationship with him. The question was, though, did _he_?

He steepled his fingers contemplatively as he weighed what had happened since Justin had made his astounding discovery. O'Connor, while not exactly overly effusive about wanting to meet him, claimed he never had rejected a relationship with him outright; he had just not wanted to meet him right away, not while he was trying to make a run for Governor, something the man had apparently wanted for a long time.

Now, all of a sudden, he seemed to have had an epiphany of sorts, claiming he had changed his mind and not only wanted to get to know him better, he also had just announced to the world that he was gay himself and had a long-term partner, not to mention a son he had just became aware of. He had noticed that while O'Connor had mentioned him and Gus, he did NOT divulge that he was gay as well. Was there a reason for that? Was he simply trying to preserve some of Brian's privacy as he had stated, or was he somehow embarrassed about the whole situation? Did he think that if he revealed that he was not only gay but had a gay son as well that it would effectively seal his political fate and put all the nails in his ambitious coffin? Did he somehow think that revealing part of the entire story was less politically suicidal than revealing ALL of it?

He closed his eyes in confusion, his inner thoughts in turmoil. He thought he had figured out O'Connor's motives and had since decided to completely wash his hands of the man. Now he found himself vacillating. Deep down, he couldn't deny that he really _did_ crave a relationship with his father, a _real_ father – one that actually took an interest in his life and his well-being. One that enjoyed getting to know him, do things that your typical father-son duo might even do – going to ball games, having a few drinks and a round of pool at the local watering hole, even – dare he say it? – spending time together at the holidays along with his son and Justin. He would never be part of some typical, hereto-style family unit, but that didn't mean he still didn't want to know that he made a difference in others' lives, and that he was a part of something bigger than himself. For if there was one thing that Justin had managed to do in the years since they had first met, it was to help ground him, make him more focused on someone other than himself, even make him a better person.

Justin's love of life and desire to be together had slowly turned him into a different man. Justin had managed to fill in a void in his heart he didn't even realize at first that he had been searching for. He had _also _given himthe opportunity to see what a real family could be like. Hell, not like Justin's homophobic asshole father, Craig, but his mother Jennifer, a woman who had changed over time from a scared, almost paranoid overprotective mother to a woman who was proud and accepting of her gay son. If Brian was totally honest with himself, he wanted a parent like that, too. Could Fin O'Connor somehow fit that bill after all?

He sighed. There were so many twists and turns to consider in that equation. Just how important was it that he open the door up, just a little, and let his father in? He knew Justin would support him in whatever decision he made, but he also knew his fiancé was quickly becoming convinced of Fin's sincerity. Perhaps Justin's impression was being slanted somewhat by his disappointment over not having a decent father of his own, along with a desire that Brian be able to enjoy what he never could. But just what would it cost him to hear the man out? _Maybe my heart_, came unbidden to his mind. _And maybe my son's, also…._

He picked up his cell phone, flipped it open and pressed the first speed dial button, waiting impatiently for the recipient to pick up. "Hey," he greeted him.

"Hey – you at work?" was the soft inquiry.

"Yeah," Brian answered. "But I haven't exactly gotten a lot of work done this morning. Something else distracted me."

There was a short pause on the other end. "You watched it, didn't you?"

Brian hesitated for a second before replying simply. "Yeah, I saw it."

"So what did you think?" Justin held his breath, very interested to find out what his fiancé had thought.

"Well…..I guess I give him some credit for having enough balls to go through with it," Brian said. "And I have to admit – Cassinelli didn't back down from it, either."

Justin held his breath as he waited for Brian to continue at his own pace. He could almost hear the brunet's thought wheels turning as he waited for him to speak. He was extremely curious to find out if Brian had changed his mind about wanting to get to know his father better.

He heard Brian sigh. "I don't know, Justin," he said at last. "I thought I had the guy figured out. And I'm _still_ not convinced he's not doing all this as some sort of grandstanding publicity stunt."

"But Brian, what would Fin really have to gain by going public in front of the entire country and telling everyone something that most people wouldn't like to hear? Even YOU must realize how much he wants to be Governor by now. This is not exactly going to make him popular with the conservative crowd."

"Maybe," his fiancé conceded. "Possibly. I guess I just don't want Gus to get hurt, that's all."

_Just Gus?_ Justin couldn't help thinking. _Or you, too_? He was silent as Brian continued to sort through his emotions...

"You really think I should meet with him again?" He eventually heard Brian ask.

Justin raised one eyebrow in surprise; it seemed Brian really _was_ rethinking his position regarding his father. Well, since he had asked him, he wasn't going to tell him what he _thought_ he wanted to hear; he was going to give him his honest opinion. He knew Brian would expect nothing less. "Yes," he said firmly. "I really think you should."

Brian twisted his lips. "Yeah…..something told me you would say that."

Justin huffed softly. "It did, did it?"

Brian smiled slightly. "Yeah….I think the man's got you firmly over in his camp now. You and that _other_ blond."

Justin grinned. "Well, us blonds have to stick together." He paused for a moment before clarifying, "And just for the record, Mr. Kinney – the only camp I'm firmly in is _yours_. I only want what's best for you. That's what I've always wanted."

Brian curled his lips fondly before saying softly, "Yeah, I know you do, Sunshine." He suddenly had a strong need to see his partner face to face. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm actually at the loft – I had breakfast with Emmett and just barely managed to run over here in time to see your father's press conference." He suddenly realized he had to tell Brian something else – he only hoped he wouldn't be angry with him. "Brian – don't be mad, but Emmett knows about Fin."

"What? You told the Nelly Queen of Pittsburgh about my father? Justin, he'll have it broadcast all over the Pitts in no time! What in the hell were you _thinking_?" he ground out, perturbed.

"I was thinking that I was tired of having to keep this information all bottled up, and Emmett was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me. Maybe I shouldn't have told him," he admitted. "But I _needed_ to talk to someone, Brian. And no matter _what_ you think, Emmett won't tell anyone else, not until you decide you want them to know."

Brian was silent for several seconds; in a way, he was really aggravated with Justin for telling someone about his father, but on the other hand, he could understand why Justin needed to confide in someone other than him and despite the fact that he would never really understand it, he knew Justin and Emmett were good friends. And, obviously, he wasn't exactly the most impartial person when it came to his own father.

Justin was about to think he had made a horrible mistake when he finally heard his fiancé mutter, "Well, he'd better keep his mouth shut, Sunshine. I sure don't want a crew of fucking paparazzi following me around from the National Enquirer, trying to get the scoop on Fintan O'Connor's past love life or his gay lifestyle. I have _enough_ fans to fight off now as it is."

Justin smirked, relieved that Brian understood. "That's true enough," he said lightly, playing along. "I hadn't thought about it that way. One of your biggest fans, though, is staying right where he is."

"Well, that's good; don't _go _anywhere. I'm about to take that little slip of your tongue out on your perky little ass."

Justin's face flushed at the thought; he couldn't think of a better punishment. "My perky little ass will be looking forward to it," he said as he smiled before flipping his phone shut.

_

* * *

_

Harrisburg – Senate Offices - Same Time

"Well, you think we should order out for a rollaway bed and some Chinese takeout?"

Fin smirked; since his news conference, he and Tony had practically been hibernating in his private office as they sat together on the dark, leather couch, their shoulders touching as they enjoyed the unaccustomed silence that was presently permeating his inner sanctum. Both of them knew that soon enough, they would have to eventually step back outside into the harsh glare of reality, but for now, truth be told they were actually _enjoying_ each other's company immensely in the relative quiet.

"I'd probably put the kibosh on the rollaway bed," he told his partner, as he squeezed his hand. "I think I've planted enough imagery in the minds of conservative PA as it is."

Tony chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess you have," he agreed amicably enough. "Guess we'll just have to make due on this ratty, old, outrageously-expensive, Italian-grade leather sofa then."

Fin curled his lips under in amusement; God, how he had missed this playful back-and-forth bantering with this man! And to think he let this slip away from him forever….Thinking of how he and his partner had thankfully managed to reconcile made him think of his _other_ concern. "You think he was watching?"

Tony didn't have to ask who he meant. "I don't know, Fin. But if _I_ were your son, I would have been watching just to satisfy my sordid curiosity."

"Yeah, you ARE pretty _sordid_, Counselor," Fin teased him as the two shared a mutual smile. "You really think so?" he asked more seriously now.

Tony twisted his mouth as he gazed back fondly at his partner. "Yeah…..I really do. That doesn't mean you changed his mind though, Fin." He would have loved to tell his partner otherwise, but he wasn't going to lie to him.

The older man let out a resigned breath. "Yeah, I know." As Tony leaned over to place his head on his partner's shoulder, Fin wrapped his hand instinctively around him.

"You know, I never really understood how much I _wanted_ a relationship with him until I came to my senses and decided to be upfront about everything. You don't know how badly I wanted to tell the press _everything_ about Brian this morning – how much he looks like me, how intelligent and successful he is, what a great son he has….."

As Tony raised his head to stare into his partner's pained eyes, Fin continued almost in a whisper. "I'm not sure I'll ever have the chance to do that now."

Tony raised his head up from Fin's shoulder. "Fin – you've done all you can do."

Fin snorted. "Have I, Tony? What exactly have I _done_? I rejected Justin's attempt for the two of us to meet outright because of my stupid political convictions, and then when we finally DO meet, naturally Brian thinks I have an ulterior motive." He stood up before turning to face the blond still sitting on the couch. "Well, you know what? I didn't make it this far in life to quit now – I'm not giving up, Tony. If he IS my son – hell, we all know that already, just take a look at the handsome bastard (Tony smirked at that statement) – well if he IS my son, then I know he can be as stubborn as I am."

"And you know what else?" Fin's voice began to rise as his face took on a more animated, determined look. "I can be just as obstinate and bullheaded as he is. I'm not giving up yet," he decided firmly.

Tony smiled. "Now that's the man I know and _usually _love." He rose to stand beside the brunet; reaching up on his tip toes, he gave him a sound kiss and wrapped his arms around his partner's back.

"Mmmm," Fin murmured as they finally broke apart. "See – it's giving me some dividends already."

Tony smacked him lightly on the chest. "So what's the first part of _Operation Retrieve Lost Son_?"

As a clamor rose from the outside part of his office, he said, "The first part's going to be getting past the circus out there. How about we engage in a little backdoor diplomacy?"

Tony licked his lips playfully as he smiled. "I'm with you, Senator. Grab a janitor's apron from the broom closet and lead the way."

As the two of them headed hand in hand toward the secret back-door entrance to leave, Fin smiled to himself. _Game on, Brian… _

_

* * *

_

Justin absentmindedly brushed his hand across Brian's chest lightly, the sheen of sweat from their just-completed bout of lovemaking still shining on the lean torso. He watched as Brian lay there on his back, staring pensively up into the ceiling.

"You know it's too late for you to back out of the wedding now," Justin said teasingly.

"Huh?"

The blond snorted softly at his distracted response. "I knew you were in some sort of post-coital, sated state. I just have that effect on people."

At least that got Brian's attention. He huffed as he said softly, "It'd better be only _ME_, Mr. Taylor, that you have that effect on. Your days of sampling all the appetizers are gone. I don't much like the sound of the word "people" when it comes to fucking you."

Justin twisted his mouth into a soft smile; his heart still warmed to the rare but occasional sentiments that sprang from Brian's lips a little more easily now. They were never quite up there with the most romantic musings on earth, but for Brian they were still a big step. "I'll try to keep all my admirers at bay, at least until after the honeymoon."

He could see Brian break out into a slight smile of amusement but he remained silent. They continued to lay together companionably, Brian's arm around him with his head on the brunet's chest, until Justin spoke again to break the silence.

"Have you made up your mind what you're going to do about Fin?" he asked softly.

Brian turned his head to look into the sapphire eyes that were gazing back at him thoughtfully. "Boy, you must _really _be losing your touch if you think I've been mulliing that over while we were fucking."

One side of Justin's mouth lifted into a sort of smirk. "Well, I imagine you must have had _some_ time to think on the way over here, although I guess the anticipation over what was waiting for you WOULD have been a great distraction. Just answer the question, will you?" he gently chided him.

"There you go again," Brian said softly. "Always the bossy bottom."

Justin snorted; they both knew by now that he may be bossy at times, but he most certainly wasn't always the _bottom_…He raised his eyebrows and peered pointedly back at Brian until the brunet continued.

"Well, he's won't be our flower girl at the wedding…..but I decided that I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to the guy again at least," he announced. "_Without_ Gus, though. I don't want him involved until I'm sure what the man's motives are."

Justin tried to concentrate and form a reply, but found it hard to do as Brian's hands began to roam lightly all over his chest; he knew what THAT meant – rest time was over and Round 2 was about to begin. Before Brian began to slowly slide down his body with the intention of starting with (literally) a breathtaking blowjob, he managed to breathe out, "I'm glad…to hear that. I think it's….a….good idea," he gasped as Brian found his target and wrapped his hand firmly around the increasingly-hard shaft. Deciding that there would be time later for serious discussions, he willingly allowed his body to succumb to the talented, probing caresses of his fiancé as he closed his eyes in pleasure…..

_

* * *

_

Kinnetik – Two Hours Later – Late Afternoon

Cynthia cursed silently as the intercom buzzed, signaling for attention. She had almost finished with the research Brian needed on their newest client – Beacon Orthopedics – and was hoping she would have it ready for her boss' review when he got back to Kinnetik. If she kept being interrupted, however, it wasn't going to happen.

"Yes?" she said tiredly; this had to be at the least the fifth time this afternoon she had been interrupted. Why was it when Brian was gone everyone thought she was the only one who could put out fires and solve crises? Maybe because it normally turned out that way…..

The voice on the other end was the young, female intern from the local vocational school who had been recruited for a stint over the summer. Angela was actually quite proficient with graphics programs but when it came to common sense, she seemed to have been overlooked when God was giving that particular trait out. She had to be the most timid advertising intern she had ever worked with. "There's someone out here asking for Mr. Kinney," Angela told her.

Cynthia sighed. "Well, there's no way he's got an appointment, Angela, because I had to reschedule all of Brian's clients this afternoon," she pointed out. It wasn't unusual for Brian to do that from time to time, especially when Justin was in town for something. She had to smile – some things never changed when it came to Brian's fiancé…

"I know," Angela said a little defensively as if she were insulted. "But I think you might want to talk to this man."

Cynthia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And why would I want to do that?"

"Because he says he's a Senator."

That comment instantly got Cynthia's attention – a _senator_? That might certainly warrant a closer look. "I'll be right out," she decided quickly, informing the intern decisively. Sighing in frustration over her partially-completed work, she shut her laptop closed and walked out the door toward the front foyer.

She stopped, stunned, as she saw a pair of men sitting on the visitor's couch near Angela's reception desk. It wasn't so much because of how striking they were – although they were both quite handsome; one slender blond, trim and neatly attired in an expensive, contemporary suit, and the other a lean brunet with dark, slightly-graying hair and a tailored Armani suit practically molded to his body.

No, it wasn't so much their handsome features that mesmerized her. It was the brunet's amazing resemblance to _another_ man she knew well – her boss. This dark-haired, neatly-groomed man rising to meet her was the spitting image of Brian, except he was older. She realized she was gaping as she thought she could be staring at Brian about twenty years down the road. She decided that if Brian DID look like this man when he was older, he was undoubtedly going to age well. "Can I help you, uh, Senator…?"

The dazzlingly-handsome man stood up and smiled, making him even MORE appealing as he answered, "Senator Fintan O'Connor." He reached to grasp the tall, elegantly-dressed blond woman's hand as he nodded over at Tony, who also rose from his place on the couch. "And this is Tony Cassinelli, an attorney from Harrisburg and my partner."

She noticed the blond turned to look at Fin and offer him first a look of surprise and then a radiant smile as if he had just said the most wonderful thing in the world. From the looks the two were sharing, too, she knew this blond-haired man was definitely NOT a business partner but something much more personal. In fact, it reminded her immediately of the looks Justin and Brian shared every time they were together.

"My name's Cynthia," she responded, unable to keep from staring back at the older mirror image of her boss. She shook both men's hands as she advised, "I understand you were looking for Mr. Kinney."

The Senator nodded. "Yes – I realize we don't have an appointment," he said apologetically. "But I was hoping if you told him I wanted to see him, he might have time to speak with us." The truth was, though, Fin wasn't sure if Brian would even see him at _all_, but he somehow had the impression spontaneity would give him a better chance of succeeding.

He could feel Tony subtly placing his hand in the small of his back for support, an action that was not lost on the blonde woman standing in front of them. To his relief, however, the woman didn't glare back at him in disdain or scorn; she merely noted it with a certain sense of curiosity as she explained, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, but actually Mr. Kinney isn't even here. He was called to take care of some important business." Well, at least to _Brian_ it was…

She noticed the distinguished Senator's face fall a little as he said, "Oh…..I guess we should have called first. Do you have any idea when he might be back?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled sympathetically at the man's disappointment, wondering why such an apparently successful, powerful politician would need to speak to Brian so urgently. She recalled the last, disastrous time Brian had become involved with a politician – of course, most politicians weren't evil and a homophobic moron like Stockwell had been…..These two standing facing her were most definitely NOT homophobic if her instincts were correct.

"No, I'm sorry, Senator, Mr. Cassinelli. I really don't have any idea if he'll even be back in the office today."

Fin nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. So you think he'll go straight back to Britin instead?" He instantly regretted that question as soon as it came out of his mouth. He was afraid to divulge too much information about his relationship with Brian and now he had just admitted that he knew where Brian, a person he had supposedly never met, lived.

He noticed that slip didn't get past this astute assistant, either, as she asked him, "So you already know Brian?"

He glanced over at Tony, who merely raised his eyebrows as if to say, _You put your own foot in your mouth – you'll have to get it out yourself now….._

Pasting on his most winning smile, Fin explained, "Yes…..actually we met at a political fundraising event here in town and he told me he lived in West Virginia about 30 minutes away. He must have mentioned the name of his residence in passing during our conversation."

"Oh." Cynthia stared back at this man who looked so much like Brian, feeling like she was in some type of surreal world. She wasn't quite sure she believed this charming version of her boss, but she really had no reason to doubt him and he _was_ apparently a Senator, so for now she decided to accept him at his word. "Uh…..actually I'm not sure," she volunteered. "He may just stay overnight at his loft."

"His loft?"

She shuffled a little on her feet, not sure how much to tell this inexplicably-curious man. No matter how much this man might want to talk to Brian, though, she wasn't about to tell him exactly where Brian lived. "Yes….he owns a loft in town that he stays in sometimes when it's late or he has to be back here early the next morning," she explained, not comfortable with revealing anything further.

She decided she had divulged enough. "Look, Senator, Mr. Cassinelli – I'll be glad to tell Brian you stopped by to see him, and I'd be glad to have Angela make you an appointment, but I really have to get back to work now."

Fin looked over at Tony who nodded as if to say t_hat's all we're going to get from her….._ He nodded slightly as he turned back to Cynthia to tell her, "I appreciate the offer, but I'll just contact him later."

She slowly nodded, still trying to determine just what the man's motive was in needing to see her boss. "Whatever you prefer," she told them, nodding. "If you'll excuse me, then?" They acknowledged her silently with a nod of their own before she turned around and began to walk back toward her office.

Fin took a deep breath of disappointment and frustration. "I was really hoping to get to talk to him. I'm not sure I can keep steeling myself for rejection over and over again."

Tony placed his hand on his hip, his eyes silently scolding him. "What happened to the cocky, bullheaded stubborn shit I came out here to the Pitts with?"

Fin stared back at him sheepishly. "I think he was about to turn tail and run back to Harrisburg."

Tony huffed. "Well you can just tell him to tuck his tail back in and grow some fucking balls."

Fin raised his eyebrows at his partner, curling his lips under. "Okay….Well….you attorneys sure know how to cut to the chase. Okay, then, Counselor…..so what's our next step? Apparently my son is going to be a no-show for the rest of the day. So much for spontaneity."

Tony nodded, smiling. "Well, there's _always _room for spontaneity," he whispered huskily in the other man's ear as Fin couldn't help shivering at the hot breath caressing him. "What say you and I find out a nice, comfy-cozy luxury hotel room and take advantage of our relative obscurity? After this morning's media circus, I'm in no hurry to get back to the state capitol, and you _know_ the press is going to be camping out at our front gate."

Fin smiled. "Now that's the best argument I ever heard for remaining where we are, Counselor," he said as he reached over to grab the other man's neck and pull his head up for a brief peck on the lips. "What would you recommend?"

Tony grinned back at him. "I don't care _what _it is, as long as we only get a blank stare of non-recognition when we check in."

Fin reached over to take his partner's hand and began to gently tug him toward the door. "I'm with you." As they walked hand in hand out the door together, Fin heard a distinctive rumbling coming from nearby.

"Fin…." Tony began.

"Don't tell me…..I'm hungry," the brunet sing-songed in falsetto. "You're _starving_ me….I can't live on love alone!"

"Oomph!" he flexed his stomach inward as he felt a slap in his sternum in reply. "All righty then…..I think I'm getting a little hungry myself."

"Right answer, Senator," Tony told him. "Any ideas?"

Fin looked around the busy sidewalk, scanning for possibilities. "Well, at least I think we'll be fairly incognito around here," he observed. "Why don't we walk down the street and just see what strikes our fancy? I'm kind of enjoying our anonymity for a change." And he _was_ – the day was unseasonably warm, it was sunny, and at least for now, the two of them could actually walk down this busy street unobserved and unrecognized. For the moment, to him it felt like heaven…

Tony smiled at his partner's look of pleasure. "I'll second that motion, Senator," he said, searching for a possible location. Spying a fairly bright-looking establishment at a nearby corner, he lightly squeezed his partner's arm. "What about that diner over there? That looks pretty good…"

Spying the picture of a milkshake near the front door, Fin shook his head in amusement. No wonder that one appealed to his partner. He didn't mind, though – as long as they were together. "Looks okay by me," he told Tony, nodding. "Let's go."

As they entered the small restaurant with the name of the _Liberty Diner_, for at least a while thoughts of his son were forgotten as he relished simply spending time alone with the man he loved and the person that not so long ago he thought he might never see again. There would be time tomorrow to try and speak to his son; for now, though, he was content.


	19. Edging Ever Closer

**A/N: I won't tease you - the father and son reunion is not in this chapter, alas...will definitely be in the next one, though...hope you enjoy reading this one in the meantime. And I'm also going to shamelessly plug a faithful reader's own story over in the "Hellcats" fanfic section. If anyone is following Gale's character of "Julian" in that show, check it out; it's called "New Beginnings." It's her first story and English is not her native language, so be gentle. I think you'll like it, though! **_

* * *

___

Liberty Diner

"So have the boys pretty much got all the wedding plans wrapped up?" Debbie leaned over to pour Jennifer another cup of hot water for her tea; as she glanced around and noticed the crowd had thinned out somewhat, she promptly plopped herself down in the opposite side of the booth and made herself comfortable.

Jennifer smiled at her antics. "As far as I know, everything's on track," she verified. "At least it was when I talked to Justin a couple of days ago. He told me Mel and Lindsey had gotten in okay Friday night with Gus and would be here now until the ceremony." Her face took on a pensive look as she said, "Justin seemed a little preoccupied when I talked to him Saturday, though. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something from me so I wouldn't worry."

Debbie frowned as she placed the coffee pot down on a nearby saucer. "Hiding something? You don't think there's something wrong with the wedding, do you?" All of Justin and Brian's "family" had already been through one unsuccessful attempt at a wedding; she was hoping there wasn't more of the same coming. "Surely they'll go through with it THIS time," she said, a little concerned.

Jennifer shook her head. "Oh, I really don't think it has something to do the wedding exactly. I've seen Justin and Brian together lately and they seemed as happy as ever around each other. I'm sure this time that they both want to go through with it," she said firmly.

"Then what?" Debbie peered curiously over at her.

Jennifer shrugged slightly. "I wish I knew – something's on his mind, though. Justin doesn't always tell me everything, even now." She sighed a little in frustration. "He usually tells Brian before me, especially if he thinks it's something that would bother me."

"Well, whatever it is, Brian better not be thinking of fucking it up again," she groused as Jennifer chuckled softly. "Or he'll be answering to ME. He's getting married Sunday if I have to _tie _him down."

Jennifer smirked. "I don't know if he'd see that as a threat or not."

* * *

As the two women continued to converse, the cashier at the front of the diner advised Fin and Tony to take a seat wherever they wished; spotting a booth near the back of the diner, Tony pulled his partner along urgently as his stomach proceeded to announce even more loudly that it needed immediate attention.

As they took their seat, Tony looked over at his partner sheepishly as Fin merely smiled and rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Looks like we got here just in time, Doctor," he said soberly, looking to his side as he if were speaking to an imaginary dining companion. "Two more minutes and he would have succumbed to terminal food deprivation."

Tony had to laugh in spite of himself as his stomach once more growled ominously. "Fuck you," he said softly. "You haven't eaten since this morning either, you know. I imagine I'm not the ONLY one who's hungry. Your stomach is just more politically correct."

"Uh, huh," Fin responded, smiling. He reached across the table to take Tony's willing hand as he glanced around the diner. "Now if we can just get one of the waitresses' attention, we might be able to do something about it." He craned his neck around until he at last got the attention of a rather tall, dark-haired woman who nodded slightly before rushing over and placing a couple of glasses of ice water down.

As the woman apologized for ignoring them, Fin noticed from the badge on her vest that her name was Kiki. "No problem," he told the woman as he glanced down quickly at his laminated menu lying on the table. "I'll just have a turkey sandwich on whole wheat and the dirty mashed potatoes."

As the waitress looked over at Tony expectantly, he said, "Uh…..I'll have the French dip, onion rings, and a chocolate shake." As she nodded, jotted down the order on her pad, and turned to leave, Fin began to caress the other man's hand on top of the table as he said, "I never _have_ understood how you can eat all that shit and never gain an ounce," he grumbled.

"You're just jealous," Tony teased him. "I like the way you think though….._dirty _mashed potatoes? That sounds so kinky."

Fin curled his lips under as he shook his head at the other man's joke. "You would know," he said softly as he smiled back wickedly at the blond, who grinned in return. "So what's on our agenda for the rest of the evening?" he asked his partner.

Tony shrugged. "Anything in particular you had in mind? Other than taking me back to our hotel room and having your way with me, I mean."

Fin snorted. "Not that you would mind, Counselor."

Tony picked Fin's hand up from the table and gave it a small kiss on the palm. "Never said that I would," he responded huskily as he somewhat reluctantly released Fin's hand when the waitress brought over some fresh rolls for dinner.

As Tony tore a bite off one of the still-hot rolls, he noticed Fin's face taking on a somewhat odd, distracted look all of a sudden. Tony raised his eyebrows at his partner as he tried to figure out what had quickly gotten his partner's rapt attention.

* * *

As the two men continued their conversation, Jennifer and Debbie, who were seated directly behind them, continued theirs, also.

"Well, I hope you're right about Brian and Justin's wedding not being involved," Debbie was saying. "I would hate for something to go wrong now – they've worked too hard to get back to this point."

"I'm sure it's nothing – just a mother being a worrywart," Jennifer reassured her, smiling. Internally, though, she still couldn't help worrying that something was wrong; she just had no idea what is was, and despite her light pressure toward her son to tell her, he wasn't confiding in her. He had simply told her it was nothing for her to worry about and gently asked her to drop it for now.

* * *

"Fin? Earth to Fin? You're overbudget and there's going to be a fillibuster," he added, hoping that might get Fin's attention. Tony finally snapped his fingers until his partner eventually focused his eyes back on him. To his surprise, however, the man immediately put a finger over his lips to shush him and bobbed his head back as if he were telling Tony to listen to someone in the booth behind him.

Tony's eyes narrowed in puzzlement. He was unable to understand exactly what his partner was trying to tell him, but he knew him well enough to know that something was going on. As he craned his head around in the direction of his partner's indication, he noticed two women sitting directly behind Fin, one a blond with her back to him and the other one a rather brassy-looking redhead facing their own booth.

He shook his head at Fin and silently mouthed to the other man, _What_? Fin merely shook his head and again placed his finger over his mouth in a nonverbal gesture for him to remain silent.

* * *

"Well, I've tried to find out what's going on. The only excuse he finally gave me was that all the wedding details were stressing him out and he had a lot on his mind. He DID reassure me that it had nothing to do with Brian." She sighed. "I hope he's telling me the whole story, Debbie. I know they love each other to death, but my son doesn't always come out and let me know what's going on sometimes."

Debbie reached over to pat Jennifer's lower arm. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Jen," she told her, smiling. "Those two boys love each other – always have and always will. Whatever it might be, I'm sure it's got nothing to do with how they feel about each other – OR the wedding." Debbie tried to be convincing, but truthfully, she was a little worried, too. She fervently hoped she was right and there wasn't some evildoer in the world that was determined to spoil Brian and Justin's happiness once again.

She stood up reluctantly. "Dinner crowd's picking up," she said, looking around the rapidly-filling diner seats. "I'd better get my ass out of this booth and back to work before Kenny has a fucking hernia." She smiled at her friend as she picked up the hot water carafe. "I'll check back with you a little later, okay? And try not to worry," she gently chided her friend, poking a red-lacquered fingernail in Jennifer's direction. Jen smiled in gratitude, nodding as Debbie turned and walked back toward the counter to check on some of the other diner's needs.

* * *

Fin's eyes lit up as he glanced slightly to the side and noticed the red-headed woman standing up and walking back over to the counter. "Did you hear that?" he whispered elatedly to his partner, keeping his voice low so the blond directly behind him wouldn't hear him. "They've got to have been talking about my son. They specifically said Brian, Justin, and a wedding in the same sentence. It's GOT to be them!" he stated excited, "That must be Justin's mother behind me." He wasn't sure WHO the redhead was, but whatever her identity, she obviously knew both Brian and Justin fairly well from the sound of things. "Come with me to the bathroom," Fin told the other man impatiently as he stood up and looked around quickly for an indication where the men's room was.

"Can you not wait until after dinner?" Tony said, pursing his lips playfully.

Fin walked around the booth's table and pulled Tony to his feet. "Come on," he growled quietly as he began to quickly tug Tony toward the back of the room.

As they entered the men's room and thankfully found themselves alone, Fin turned Tony around and placing his hands on his shoulders, said, "What should I do?"

"Well, if you need instructions from me by now…."

Fin smacked him on the shoulder impatiently as Tony grinned and licked his lips in that endearing way that always made Fin's heart skip a beat, even in moments like this. "You _know_ what I mean, you asshole! What should I do about Justin's _mother_?"

Tony looked back at his partner a little more seriously now; he knew this was important to Fin. "What do you WANT to do, Fin?" he asked softly.

Fin huffed out a frustrated breath. "I don't know, damn it," he replied. "I guess I'd like to talk to her and see if she can tell me where Brian's loft is. She MUST know. I'd really like a chance to talk to my son again, but if I DO ask her, she's bound to figure out who I am, wouldn't she? And besides, it's not like she would just readily give that information out to a perfect stranger in any case. I'd have to tell her if she doesn't figure it out."

Tony studied that quandary. "Well, even though you and Brian look so much alike and she'd no doubt do a double take if you ask about him, how would she still ever guess you're his _father_? From what I could hear, Justin must not have told her what happened, so she must assume like everyone else that Brian was never adopted."

"But don't you think she'd put two and two together if she sees how much we look alike and I start asking about him?"

Tony put his hands on his hips. "Fin…..there's only one way to find out," he said flatly. "I still say she might wonder somehow, but there's no way she's going to know for sure."

"But how will I explain that I need to know where Brian lives, then?"

Tony cocked his head thoughtfully. "Good question. The only answer I know, though, is this: 1) if we don't get out there soon, she may very well be gone anyway, and, 2) if we don't get back out there right away, more importantly, our food will be getting cold and I'm still HUNGRY, Senator!" He looked over at his partner impertinently, hoping for the anticipated result.

Thankfully, he received it as the ice was broken and Fin grinned back at him. "Touché, Counselor," he murmured, as he leaned in to give his partner a brief kiss on the lips that promised a more in depth exploration later. "Let's go – I'll improvise. After all, that's what I do best."

Tony smiled back at him. "That you do, my love. That you do." He took Fin's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go – you've got a son to find and I've got a French dip to eat."

Fin chuckled slightly as the two of them exited the bathroom and headed back toward their booth. Fin immediately focused in on the classically-dressed blonde woman who was still sitting in the booth directly behind theirs. Nodding at his partner he slowly approached her and stood next to her seat until she noticed instinctively that someone had stopped and gradually lifted her eyes to meet his.

She smiled slightly, thinking perhaps that it was a former home-buying client of hers as she said, "Yes?"

"Mrs. Taylor?" Fin asked, assuming she had the same last name as Justin's.

"Yes," she answered to Fin's relief. "Do I know you?" she asked politely, her eyes subtly searching the other man's features as if she recalled him from somewhere.

It took Jennifer a couple of seconds to realize why he looked familiar; it wasn't because she knew him personally, it was because he was an older spitting image of her future son-in-law, the man she had come to admire and love as a second son, mainly due to his love for her OWN son. She shook her head slightly in astonishment as she continued to stare back unabashed at the attractive man until Fin finally spoke up.

"No," he answered smoothly. "We've never met. But I couldn't help overhearing you a little while ago." He motioned over to Tony. "This is Tony, my partner, and my name is Fin," he explained casually, purposely avoiding using his last name. Even in this part of the state, while his face may not have been so familiar to the residents here, his name normally _was_; he didn't want to run the risk of someone overhearing him.

Jennifer nodded in acknowledgement of that information, but was still puzzled. "How did you know who I was, then?" she asked astutely.

Fin noticed the same sort of inquisitive, analytical look on her face that Justin had that day they had first met; this woman was undoubtedly his mother. "I heard you and the other woman over there (he pointed over to Debbie, who was serving coffee at the counter) talking about Justin and Brian and their wedding. I assume there could only be one couple here in Pittsburgh with those names who are getting married. You ARE Justin's mother, correct?" he asked, although he knew without a doubt that she was.

She nodded her head, finally somewhat satisfied as to how he knew who she was. "That's right," she confirmed. "You're friends of Brian and Justin, then?" she said politely. She didn't even pretend to assume she knew all of their friends; maybe most of Justin's and some of Brian's through association, but Brian had so many contacts in the advertising world and elsewhere that she had long ago given up trying to figure out who they all were.

Fin glanced over at Tony, who nodded in encouragement. "Not exactly," he admitted, decided he'd better for now keep up the same pretense he had portrayed with Brian's assistant earlier. "I met Brian at a fundraiser a few months back and he mentioned he lived in Pittsburgh. I was in town and wanted to get back in contact with him, but his assistant at Kinnetik, Cynthia, told me he was out of the office and probably wouldn't be back until tomorrow. She said he was probably at his loft here instead of at Britin. I really wanted to speak to him again," he said, plastering his most pleasing smile on in hopes it would get him what he wanted. "I tried to reach him at his home earlier, but I was unsuccessful."

Tony twisted his lips in amusement as he watched his partner weaving his magic spell of charm on this unsuspecting woman; if Fin had been straight, he had no doubt she would have been swooning over him like every _other_ woman did, at least until they found out to their utter disappointment that he wasn't interested for some reason. At least NOW they would all know the reason why, he thought with some sense of satisfaction.

Jennifer hesitated. The man seemed genuine and sincere enough, but how much did she really know about him? And why hadn't he just called Brian on his cell and asked to meet with him directly? She had to voice that question aloud – it seemed like the logical solution. "Why don't you just call him on his cell?" she asked. "I can give you his number if you don't have it," she offered.

Fin cursed inwardly, knowing this woman who was Justin's mother would be intelligent and insightful enough to ask him that question. Not really wanting to lie any further, but also afraid that Brian would reject outright another request for a second meeting, he found himself having to dodge the truth. He fervently wished he could just tell Justin's mother the whole story, but he just didn't feel it was his place to do so. When the time was right – IF the time was right – it would be Brian's decision, not his.

"I tried to call him," he explained, not missing a beat as Tony glanced over at him with a slight arch of his right brow. "It said his phone was not in order. Mrs. Taylor," he said with his most charming tone of voice, the same one he always used to help sway other senators to vote for his causes, "I'd really appreciate it if you could just give me his address here in town. I assure you I'm NOT a serial murderer or something," he said, smiling in a self-deprecating manner that made Jennifer smile slightly back automatically in return. "I'm just a man who knows who to go to for the best advertising pitches in the state, and I really need to speak to him before my partner and I return to Harrisburg tomorrow."

Tony shook his head slightly, amazed how persuasive this man could be. And he thought he could actually _walk away_ from him? Who had he been kidding?

Whether it was Fin's pervasive charm, his amazing resemblance to Brian, or both, Jennifer found her resolve diminishing. He was right – this well-dressed, handsome man certainly _looked _normal enough. And he would _still_ have to get past the security alarm to Brian's building, even if he DID go over there.

"Please, Mrs. Taylor," Fin said beseechingly, deciding to try a different tack. "My partner here is starving – believe me, you won't be able to finish the rest of youe dinner in peace if Tony's stomach is growling."

Tony stuck his tongue out quickly at his partner, evoking a laugh from Jennifer. It wasn't just the brunet's mannerisms and looks that reminded her so much of Brian; it was the interaction between the two, so startlingly like him and her son. That sealed her decision as she opened her purse and pulled out a small memo pad and a pen. Completly overlooking that fact that she could have _also_ called her son to try and reach Brian, she told the man, "Here," as she jotted down the address quickly and handed it over to the man, who smiled broadly back at her in appreciation.

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor," Fin told her gratefully. "That will be a big help. I promise I'm harmless, I assure you."

Jennifer nodded. "I believe you," she said, as she quickly drunk the remainder of her now lukewarm tea and placed a tip on the table. "It was nice meeting you," she said politely as she stood up. "I have to get going, actually. Got a showing to do for a client," she explained.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, too," Fin told her as the woman walked by. They observed her waving to the redheaded woman, who was still bustling around the counter, before the two of them returned to their seats.

"Real witty, Senator," Tony told his partner as he realized they had timed their return perfectly, noticing their waitress approaching them with their food. "Glad my growling stomach could come in handy for a change."

Fin grinned back at the blond. "Had to think of _something_…nothing personal."

Tony snorted. "Well, later when you want to _get personal_, let's see who's left with the unsatisfied hunger _then_."

Fin twisted his mouth in amusement, knowing the man was all bark and no bite...well, sort of – at times, _biting_ could be a GOOD thing in certain, private situations…... "Well, hurry up and eat, Counselor," he prodded the other man as he picked up his food and dove into his turkey sandwich. "I've got a son to speak to."

_

* * *

_

Brian's Loft – Forty-Five Minutes Later

Justin snuggled into Brian's side as they sat on the couch, watching an old black and white Jimmy Cagney movie. He found it almost laughable but he tolerated it due to Brian having some sort of fascination with the use of imagery and shadows in the older film. Of course, while Brian could amuse himself with picking the movie's intricate staging apart, Justin could amuse himself in other ways.

"Don't you start, little boy," Brian growled as Justin's hand crept slowly lower. "You know I have to get to bed early for that 6:00 a.m. meeting tomorrow. Remind me to kill Theodore when I get back to the office," he reminded him. This important client situated in Japan was on his way back to his home base in Tokyo and could only meet with Brian in between legs of his red-eye flight tomorrow. Knowing how much business the man generated for Kinnetik's bottom line, he had reluctantly scheduled Brian to accommodate him during the only time the man could manage it – at six o'clock in the morning.

Justin smiled as he ran his hand lightly over Brian's bared chest and watched it ripple, the shirt tails having been pulled out long ago. "Who would have thought the great Brian Kinney would need to get to bed for _another_ reason?"

Brian caught the roaming hand and lifted it to his lips to bestow a kiss on the tender flesh underneath; he heard a soft sigh of pleasure in return as he smiled down at the blue eyes peering up at him facetiously.

"Don't worry, Mr. Taylor," he assured his partner huskily. "That's not the _only_ reason I need to get to bed." He gently nudged Justin off his chest to the blond's slight disappointment and stood up.

"What about the rest of the movie?" Justin asked.

"Seen it before," Brian reported curtly. "He has a change of conscience and winds up not executing her after all."

"Well, you've seen ME before, too," Justin said innocently as Brian pulled him up roughly to press him tightly against his chest. He heard Justin groan slightly as he deliberated rubbed his crotch against the blond's while his hands held onto the slender back possessively.

"Yeah," Brian whispered sexily in such a way that it still made Justin's heart start beating faster and his face flush in response. "But I never get tired of reruns with YOU." He kneaded Justin's ass firmly before leaning down to place a passionate kiss on the familiar, sweet lips.

"You always say the _sweetest_ things, Mr. Kinney," Justin said breathlessly after they finally broke apart and he stared into the soft hazel eyes of his lover. "You can butter my popcorn any day," he said with a mocked swoon.

Brian snorted. "I'll show you _popcorn_," he said threateningly as he gave Justin a firm smack on the butt. Justin squeaked slightly as Brian grinned back at him and began to pull him toward the bedroom. "Let's get started NOW with the _coming_ attractions," he said, laughing as they kissed and pawed their way slowly toward their goal.

Brian groaned out loud a few seconds later as he heard someone knocking on the loft door. "What the fuck?" he growled, letting out a deep breath of disgust as the two of them stopped momentarily. Justin peered up at him questioningly as Brian shrugged.

"Were you expecting someone?" the blond asked as he slowly rubbed his hands over Brian's back.

Brian thought about replying with a typical sarcastic answer but thought better of it as he answered truthfully, "No, I wasn't. And they can just leave," he decided firmly as he began to once more pull Justin toward the bedroom.

His visitor, however, wasn't going to just go away in defeat as another round of even louder knocking began. "Shit!" Brian snarled in irritation. "Go away!" he shouted out loudly, hoping the person trying to enter wasn't totally dense and could take a not-so-subtle hint. "There's _fucking_ going on here, do you mind?"

"Brian!" Justin scolded him. "You don't know who's _out_ there! What if it's the Girl Scouts or something?"

"Well, I'll just tell them I've got my OWN brand of _Do-Si-Do's,"_ he told his partner, winking as Justin laughed despite his better judgement.

* * *

Fin paused just outside Brian's door after knocking a second time; his stomach was churning with nervous anticipation as he hesitated over what to do next. He had managed to hornswoggle an attractive-looking younger woman into letting him into the main lobby downstairs by pretending to be a new tenant and losing his key, but now that he was actually in front of his son's door, his confidence was rapidly waning.

"Maybe we should just go," he told Tony. "He and Justin are obviously _busy,"_ he said, reddening a little at the thought of just what they were doing presently. He had to hand it to his son – the man certainly wasn't afraid to be candid. Maybe a little TOO candid.

"Uh, uh," Tony told him, standing next to him defiantly and shaking his head. "You've come this far, Senator – knock again. Justin's still a young buck – he can handle it if he doesn't get laid for a few more hours."

Fin snorted at the man's directness. "Tony, this isn't a game! This is my SON we're talking about here!"

Tony took his hand and placed it under Fin's chin to turn his face to look directly at him. "I know, Fin," he said solemnly. "And you've talked about nothing else since you met him. Now keep knocking on that door until you fucking get him to _answer it_!"

Fin huffed. "All right, all right, don't be so damn pushy!" he growled. He shook his head in exasperation, feeling suddenly like the shuttlecock in a round of badminton. _Back and forth, back and forth…._

Taking a deep breath in expectation to the response he would no doubt receive, he lifted his hand and once more knocked several times on the door.

Brian had just pushed Justin onto his back on the bed after managing to disrobe him and was openly admiring the open-legged view when he heard once again a series of determined knocks on the door. "Fuck‼" he roared in disbelief. "I don't fucking _believe this__‼__" _He huffed in extreme anger as he pointed a finger at Justin and said, "Hold that pose, Sunshine," before stomping over to the door and violently swinging it open to confront his persistent intruder.

The indignant retort froze on his lips, however, as he stared back into the wide, steel-gray eyes of his father.


	20. Heart to Heart

As Fin stood there uncharacteristically at a loss for words for a change, Tony pursed his lips together to keep from laughing at the irony. In his position of political power, Fin would never be caught dead stomping to his front door to answer it simply in the "clothes" God have given him; however, that didn't mean the man wasn't inclined to parade around their house totally nude from time to time himself, provided, of course, that all their blinds were fully drawn; he definitely didn't want his photo to show up the next day in the paper with him wearing nothing but an expression of relief from being freed of his constrictive clothing.

He was always telling Tony how much he abhorred wearing ties and suits all the time; if he knew they weren't going out anywhere after they got home after a particularly long day, the first thing the man would do (after fucking him senseless somewhere in the house, of course) was to jump in a hot shower and then parade around their residence afterward without a stitch of clothing on and nothing but a look of unfettered contentment on his face.

Tony couldn't help sweeping his gaze briefly down Brian's lean, muscled form to openly admire his physique; the blond paused for a few seconds to concentrate upon a particularly attractive part of Brian's anatomy as he thought to himself, _Yep – he was definitely Fin's son, all right….._

"Uh…..nice to _see_ you again, Brian," the man quipped tongue in cheek as he eventually raised his eyes to meet the other man's, smiling as he tried fervently to keep his gaze at eye-level and his face from flushing slightly.

Fin looked over at Tony as he observed a slight awkward tone to his voice and rolled his eyes.

Brian merely glared back at the two men, frustrated that he had been impeded from participating in his most favorite activity in the entire world, and with his most favorite – his _only_ – choice of player. "What are you _doing_ here?" he growled.

"Uh…..I wanted to talk to you," Fin finally managed to say, biting his lip slightly in nervousness. He knew it was bound to be awkward enough to meet Brian again, but it was doubly so at the moment with his son standing there totally nude. "Can we come in?" he asked politely, almost as if he were a vacuum cleaner salesman and wanted to demonstrate his wares to an uninterested housewife.

"How did you get up here?" Brian asked them, casually standing there in the open doorway with his arms crossed as if he strutted around the loft without any clothes on all the time; perhaps he did, Fin thought, considering how nonchalant he was about the whole thing at the moment.

"A woman was coming into the building and let us in," he admitted, shrugging.

"Yeah," Tony said, smiling a little. "She felt sorry for him – it seems powers of persuasion must run in the family." _Along with some other things,_ he couldn't help thinking as he struggled to keep his gaze from sweeping any lower.

Fin's eyes narrowed as he realized his son was becoming quite the distraction; he knew Tony was one hundred percent loyal to him, but he had to admit it, the man standing in front of him – his son – was a fine specimen of man, if he did proudly say so himself…_Listen to me,_ he chided himself – _you would think I was Father of the Year or something….._

"Can we come in, Brian?" he asked again, a little more forcefully this time.

Brian stood there in thought, trying to decide what to do. He still didn't trust this man a hundred percent, but after seeing his press conference earlier, he had to admit that perhaps the man was really trying to do the right thing at last. This would be the only other father he would ever have a chance to get to know – if he didn't at least hear the man out, he would lose the last chance he had to have a real father…

He finally held out his hand to silently motion for them to enter. He stood there for a few seconds, as a look passed between his father and Tony, who nodded at his partner slightly in encouragement. The two men began to enter the loft and stopped several feet inside to wait for Brian to join them as they studied the brunet's opulent, sleek surroundings. The loft was spacious, modern, and almost minimal in furnishings, quite a departure from their own residence, but still quite tasteful. Tony idly wondered if Brian had the same penchant for chocolate-chip cookies that his father did, almost finding himself disappointed to merely note a bowl of mixed, fresh fruit in a wire-mesh basket on the nearby counter as they waited somewhat tensely for Brian to approach them.

Brian finally pushed the metal door closed and turned to walk toward the living room. He decided, however, that as much as he wouldn't mind rattling the man's composure just a little, he probably would have a more serious conversation with his father if he was at least partly clothed; for now, then, his favorite activity with a certain beautiful blond would have to be put on hold.

"Have a seat," he curtly instructed his two visitors as he turned and walked toward the bedroom where the panels were partially closed. As he approached the other room, he heard Justin softly call out, "Brian? Who is it?" Justin appeared in the open space, his hair tousled from their previous lovemaking and wearing only his briefs and a look of slight bewilderment; as normal, Brian's heart began to speed up at the sight and sound of his lover. No matter how many times he saw this man and heard his voice, he figured it would always be that way.

"We have visitors, Sunshine," he announced, as Justin peered around him to see for himself. "Why don't you entertain our charming guests while I make myself more _presentable_?" he said sarcastically as he walked around the side of the bed to retrieve his jeans from where he had discarded them earlier.

Justin's eyes widened as he immediately recognized Fin and Tony standing rather uncomfortably between the kitchen and the living room; at least Fin appeared somewhat uncomfortable. If Justin didn't know better, he would swear from the look on Tony's face that he was actually enjoying the whole drama in a perverse sort of way.

Rubbing his hand over his hair in an impromptu attempt to tame it, he stepped down from the ledge to greet their unexpected arrivals. "Fin, Tony….This is a surprise."

"Justin," Tony replied, smiling; he couldn't help liking this young man who reminded him so much of himself; he actually felt a sort of camaraderie between the two of them, since they had something in common – dealing with two very obstinate, passionate men who were totally irresistible but could also drive you crazy at times. "Good to see you again," he added sincerely, smirking.

Justin couldn't help returning his smile; he more than anyone else could understand Tony's position completely. _Can't live with them, can't live without them…_

"You, too," Justin responded. "Fin," he acknowledged Brian's father, nodding in greeting.

Fin smiled at his son's fiancé. "Hey, Justin," he said. "Sorry for the bad timing."

Justin twisted his lips. "Yeah…..that's okay. Um…..it's not like we can't pick up where we left off later." He gestured over toward the couch in a silent invitation for the two men to sit down before asking, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Before they walked over to be seated, both men shook their heads. "No, thanks, Justin," Fin told him. "We actually just ate."

Justin nodded as the three of them walked over to the living room area; Justin took a seat nearby in one of Brian's chairs as the two men sat together on the sofa. A thought suddenly occurred to him as he inquired, "What are you two doing here in Pittsburgh, and how did you know where Brian lived?"

Fin answered wryly, "We decided to take a nice, scenic drive and somehow wound up near my son's hometown. And to answer your _second_ question, we lucked out there. We ran into someone you know slightly at the diner where we ate and she told us where we could find my son."

Justin's eyes widened. "The _Liberty_ Diner? Oh, no…don't tell me you ran into Debbie!"

Fin frowned. Although to his chagrin he realized he had already forgotten the first name of Justin's mother, somehow that name didn't sound like the right one. "Debbie?" he asked, puzzled.

Justin nodded as he noticed Brian returning from the bedroom, now more "properly" clothed in his jeans, although the fly was still unbuttoned as was his customary style. "Yeah," he answered the other man. "Red hair, off the top, very gregarious, very vocal. She's a waitress there," he explained.

Tony nudged Fin in the side. "She must have been the woman talking to Justin's mother."

Justin started as he heard just who had divulged Brian's address. "My _mother_? SHE was the one who told you where to find Brian?"

"Remind me to have a word with Mother Taylor the next time we see her," Brian muttered as he came down to stand next to his fiancé and took a place in the remaining chair. He turned to face his father as he stated angrily, "You told her who you were…..or worse, you told _Debbie_."

Fin shook his head briskly. "No, I didn't," he told his son firmly. "To _either_ one of them. Actually, the one you call Debbie had walked back over to the counter to serve some other customers before we even spoke to Mrs. Taylor. She didn't even know we were there. We left before she returned."

"You're telling me you didn't talk to Debbie, but to Justin's mother, who wllingly told you where I lived, but you didn't have to tell her why you needed the information? Come on," he said suspiciously.

"Brian…"

"No, Justin," his partner retorted. "This is between me and him." He turned back to face the older man. "I really find that hard to believe, _Senator_."

Fin sighed in irritation; why did this man have to be such an accuratel carbon copy of himself? "Well, you can believe what you want, Brian, but no, I didn't tell Debbie anything, and I didn't tell Justin's mother who I was. That doesn't mean that maybe she didn't notice some sort of resemblance between you and me, but I didn't mention the reason why and thankfully she didn't ask."

Brian still found that extremely hard to accept. "Then why would she tell a total stranger where I lived?" he pressed.

Fin peered over at his partner a little sheepishly. "I actually told her we had met at a fundraiser a few months ago, and I needed to see you while I was in town regarding some advertising business."

"Humph," Brian huffed out, looking over at Justin accusingly. "So much for privacy," he growled as Justin merely shrugged. "And she just gave you the information like that?"

"Fin can be very persuasive when he needs to be," Tony volunteered in explanation, as he grinned over at Justin meaningfully. Justin couldn't help smiling back at him in amusement; this was sounding more and more familiar by the second.

Brian shook his head as he looked at the two blond co-conspirators; unbelievable. It was as if two identical Justin bookends were staring back at him, both with the same expression on their faces. "That still doesn't explain what you're doing here at my loft," he pointed out.

Fin sighed; apparently he wasn't done with either groveling OR explanation. "I told you, Brian – I wanted to talk with you." He looked down at his hands in his lap as he asked tentatively, almost afraid to hear his son's answer, "Did you see my press conference earlier today?"

Brian let out a breath. "Yeah," he finally admitted. "I saw it."

Fin's raised his eyebrows slightly, partially surprised that Brian had not only watched, but he had also admitted to it. "And?" he prodded his son.

"And what?"

Fin shook his head in irritation; obviously his son wasn't going to make this easy on him. "And…..what did you think?" He held his breath anxiously as he waited for Brian's reply, a little surprised just how much his answer meant to him.

Justin watched this exchange somewhat uneasily; he had wanted for so long for Brian to meet his father, and hopefully establish a good relationship with him, but obviously there were still issues that needed to be worked out – IF they could be worked out, that is.

"Uh…..maybe Tony and I should leave you alone to talk," he offered.

"No, Justin," Brian said sharply. "Anything this man says to me he can say in front of YOU."

Justin's heart warmed at the conviction and trust he heard in Brian's voice, but he realized his fiancé didn't understand. "I know, Brian," he assured him softly. "I just think it might be a good idea for the two of you to try and hash this out alone." He looked over at Tony and noticed the other man's own partner nodding back in agreement.

Brian started to reply, until he noticed Justin's look of _don't argue with me_, and promptly closed his mouth, shaking his head in defeat at the hands of this young, blond artist, the man who admittedly sometimes knew him better than he knew himself.

Fin glanced over at Tony at the same time, only to receive a pointed, silent admonition from his partner as well and sighed in resignation as his partner stood up.

"Sounds like a sound idea, Justin," Tony agreed. "Any good watering holes around here?"

Justin smiled as he stood up to join the attorney. "Yeah…..got one in mind already; how good are you at playing pool?"

Tony gestured by flipping his hand up and down. "Ehhhhh…..So-so; I'm better at throwing darts," he admitted. "Although I think the media has me beat in _that_ area lately."

Justin grinned as he walked quickly into the bedroom to retrieve his clothes; as he came back out, they walked companionably toward the loft's door as he said to Tony, "Well, let's go find out – at least you can practice at throwing them back to the media without doing any bodily harm."

As he swung the loft's door open and waited for Tony to lead, he waited until he had closed the door behind them before he asked, "Do you think it's safe to leave them alone? You realize they may wind up murdering each other."

Tony peered back at his younger counterpoint and nodded. "Yeah, I know – two alpha males with egos to match? We're definitely taking a chance here. But I think it's time they come to an understanding – whatever that may be."

"Yeah." Justin glanced once more back at the loft's door, fervently praying they would at least be civil to each other before he and Tony finally boarded the elevator's car and started to descend to the bottom floor, leaving father and son completely alone for the first time.

* * *

Inside the loft, the two virtually matching bookends sat uncomfortably close to each other, neither speaking at first. Both men, normally not ever at a loss for words, somehow were suddenly unable to say anything, although they both had so much they desperately wanted to say to each other. But how do you begin a conversation that was over 30 years in the making?

Finally, Fin cleared his throat and ventured a glance over at his son, who was sitting rather stiffly in his chair, looking down at his hands almost like some nervous, uncertain child. For a moment, Fin thought just how Brian reminded him of himself when HE was a little boy, growing up at various army bases around the country while his parents served in the military. His mother and father had always been good parents, but he remembered how he only felt totally safe and protected when he was staying with his uncle on his farm in Kentucky, tending to the horses.

That recollection provided him with the courage to finally speak. "Justin told me you board horses at Britin," he began softly. "He said you have three of your own there, too."

Brian glanced over at his father and frowned, wondering how in the world the man thought of that subject to start out their conversation with. Was it because he thought it would be a safe topic to discuss? Not quite sure how to respond, he simply answered curtly, "Yeah…..that's right. Why do you ask?"

Fin took a breath, realizing this was not going to be easy no matter what; there was simply too much pain and loss still disguised underneath his son's layer of feigned indifference. "I just thought it was interesting that you had horses. Justin said he thought that's where you went the other day when Tony and I came to visit." He hesitated before revealing, "At home, that's where I always go when I have something on my mind and want to think. Tony says I spend so much time out there, he always kids me that I'll wind up being reincarnated one day as a different _kind_ of stud," he said teasingly in an attempt to lighten his son's mood.

Fin thought he saw just the hint of a smile appear on his son's lips before Brian promptly closed himself back off and stared back at him stony-faced. His voice dripped with sarcasm when he finally answered, "Well, isn't it grand that we have so much in common?"

Fin sighed in frustration. Why wouldn't his son let him in, even a fucking inch? Weeks of regret and sorrow for what might have been long ago surged inside him as he asked plaintively, his voice full of helplessness, "What do I have to do, Brian? What? I've never had a son – hell, I didn't even know I HAD one until a few weeks ago! I don't have a user manual on how to be a good father, and from what Justin told me, you certainly didn't have a wonderful role model to compare any decent father to. I'm sure that doesn't help, and I'm sorry – SO sorry – that you had to go through that. No one deserves to be treated the way you apparently were treated. And you don't know how much I wish I could go back in time and be able to raise you up the way a child should have been raised, and be able to watch you grow up. But I can't – no one can do that."

Brian kept his head down, making Fin unable to see if he was getting through to his son or not. Full of pent-up anxiety, he stood up to slowly walk over to the large, floor-to-ceiling windows nearby and peer out onto the street below. His mind reviewed everything that had transpired in the last few weeks, and how his previous plans, which had always seemed to be so clearly defined, had been turned upside down by the revelation that he had a son.

As he thought back over the recent events, he pondered whether he would have changed anything that had happened. Did he wish that he had never found out he had a son, which had at least indirectly caused him to divulge a secret lifestyle that he had always thought he would keep silent about for the sake of his political ambitions? Did he perhaps _resent_ Brian for that? After all, it had also led to Tony issuing him an ultimatum and as a result, he almost lost the man he loved dearly. Was there any chance that's how he actually felt toward his son?

As he turned around, however, to glance back over at the proud but vulnerable man sitting with his hands on his knees and looking downward at his lap like a scared little boy, his heart suddenly swelled with concern, and yes, even _love_ for this handsome man who looked so much like himself, and in that instant he _knew_. No…he wouldn't have taken any of it back. And no, he could never feel anything but good thoughts about this man who he had been at least partially responsible for bringing into this sometimes intolerant, cruel world. He WANTED to be in his son's life, and he simply HAD to somehow get through to him.

Sighing softly and taking a deep breath of resolve, he walked back over to his son and kneeled down in front of him. He wasn't going to give up – it wasn't in his nature and he had a distinctive feeling it wasn't in his son's, either. "Brian," he said softly, as he tentatively reached out his hand toward the other man's arm, not sure how his son would react to him touching him. Steeling himself for a possible rejection, he was relieved as well as heartened when he gently placed his hand on Brian's lower arm and his son didn't flinch or pull away from him.

"I really want to get to know you, as well as my grandson; can't we try? Will you let me try to get to know you?" He could hear his son's ragged breathing as he continued to stare down at his hands in his lap, but he thought he could feel the other man's body trembling slightly in response to his words. He wasn't sure if that was a sign of emotional turmoil, anger, or pain, but he didn't pull away. This was too important – to _both_ of them.

"Brian," he tried again. "I know we can't become the best of friends overnight – I wouldn't expect that. But I'd like to make a start. Please," he said softly, unaccustomed to having to plead for something he wanted so badly. Normally, when he was trying to forge through a pet project of his in Congress, or push through a piece of legislation he championed, he didn't have any trouble persuading others to do what he wanted. Now, though, his realized all of his previous experience and abilities weren't going to help him here. This was new territory for both him AND his son. _Please, Brian, _he pleaded silently. _Let me in…_

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Woody's

"What do you think is going on?" Tony asked the younger man as they sat at a tall table, drinking a beer together. Justin had found out after several rounds of dart throwing that Tony had not exactly been completely upfront about his talents; the man was actually astonishingly good at hitting bull's-eyes on the dartboard. After winning all of their games, in fact, Tony had teasingly told Justin that he had developed his skill by constantly being in the gun sights of opposing attorneys in court.

Justin shook his head. "I wish I knew," he admitted. "Normally Brian always comes out the winner in challenges. Of course, he's never had a spitting image of himself to duel with, either."

Tony nodded completely in understanding. "Yeah, I hear you. You think the two of them can come to an understanding and work their differences out?"

Justin shrugged. "I wish I knew, Tony. I _hope_ so. I really think the two of them would be good for each other – if they don't kill each other first. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave them alone after all."

Tony grinned. "Yeah…..maybe not." He looked down at his watch, noticing they had been gone about an hour. "Think we ought to head back? I'd say either they've come to a mutual agreement by now or they've done each other in completely."

Justin laughed softly as he drained the last of his beer. "Yeah, I think you're right. Let's go – I can't stand the suspense any longer." He slapped some bills down on the tall, round table and slid off his chair as he and Tony headed back toward the loft, both extremely curious to find out what had happened during their absence.

* * *

Brian's heart was pounding and his pulse began to race as he heard his father approaching him; he was momentarily taken aback when he noticed him actually kneeling down beside him before he heard him speaking in a voice that was so reminiscent of his own, practically begging him to meet him halfway. Did he dare? Could he take that chance? It had taken him so long to let Justin into his heart, even though he knew deep down he had fallen in love with him from almost the beginning. That was relatively easy compared to what this relative stranger was asking him for, though.

He knew his father had mainly revealed his homosexual lifestyle in such a public manner this morning mainly to avoid losing the man HE loved; Brian admitted to himself that he could certainly relate to that. If he ever thought he was at risk of losing _Justin_, he would be willing to do practically anything as well. But he _also_ knew part of the other reason why his father had come clean about being gay was due in part to his wish to be an integral presence in his own son's life. Was he willing to jump out on that emotional limb with him and hope that he wouldn't fall? And could he risk his own son as well?

He was spared having to answer out loud when he heard the loft's door being pushed back as Justin and Tony returned. The rather tense, emotion-filled moment effectively broken, Fin sighed as he gently released his hold on Brian's arm and rose to stand and face the two blonds.

Tony's eyes immediately searched out his partner's as he silently tried to figure out what had happened. His face fell as he noticed Fin giving him a slight, discouraging shake of his head.

"Ready to go back to our hotel, Tony?" Fin asked his partner softly as he tensely ran his right hand through his hair. "It's getting late and I have an early morning in chambers tomorrow."

Tony glanced over at Justin, noticing the look of disappointment on the younger man's face as well, along with the initial welling of tears in his eyes. "Sure," Tony responded, nodding as he gave his partner a sympathetic smile.

Fin walked over to them and shook hands with Justin. "It was really nice to see you again, Justin," he told Brian's partner. He glanced over at his son, who continued to refuse to look at him, and whispered more softly, "Take good care of him, okay?"

Justin nodded, too overcome to say anything out loud; he was too upset by the father and son's inability to reconcile. His hope of presenting his fiancé with the most special wedding present of all but been irretrievably destroyed.

Tony smiled wistfully at Justin as he, too, shook hands with him and said, "Take care, Justin. It was very nice to meet you, too," he told the blond who he now actually considered a friend due to their mutual love for the O'Connor-Kinney men. He only wished his new friend could have succeeded in what they had both fervently wished could have happened.

"Bye, Tony," Justin finally found his voice enough to choke out. "Fin," he added softly, as he watched them walk toward the door and out of Brian's live forever.

Just as Fin reached for the handle to pull the door back, however, he heard Brian's voice saying from his place near the couch, "5:00."

Fin frowned, wondering if he had heard his son correctly, or if he had even spoken at all. "I beg your pardon?" he said, turning around to stare at his son, who hadn't moved from his position on the chair's seat. He watched, though, as Brian finally raised his head and actually turned his upper body to stare directly at him with an intense look.

"5:00," he repeated. "Saturday. Britin. Don't be late." After finishing his cryptic statement, he promptly turned his face away from his astonished father's to gaze over at the wall of windows, the same ones that Fin had also looked out from earlier.

Fin, Tony, and Justin all stared at each other in shock before Fin finally found his voice enough to reply firmly, "I'll be there," just before he swung the heavy metal door open and he and Tony left.

Justin gazed at his lover for a few seconds in stunned amazement after the other two men departed; he couldn't believe what he had just heard, but his heart knew he had. Had Brian actually invited his father to their wedding?

He walked over to his fiancé and just like Fin, knelt down in front of him. When Brian didn't turn his head to acknowledge him, he reached up and gently but firmly took hold of Brian's chin to turn his face to force him to return his gaze as he stared into the familiar set of hazel eyes that were surprisingly wet at the moment with unshed tears. "Brian," Justin murmured softly; he couldn't help smiling back at his lover in delight over his decision to finally allow his father to be at least a small part of his life.

He didn't know quite what to say, but at that moment, he once again realized that this outwardly confident man wasn't that way all the time. And he _also_ knew that only he was privy to Brian's innermost thoughts and emotions; his heart swelled at the thought of how much it took for this proud man to be so open and vulnerable with him. Never had he loved this man more than he did right now. "I love you so much," he told his partner in a hushed voice, as he leaned up to place a tender kiss on the brunet's lips. He could feel Brian's swirl of emotions through the probing tongue and the way he reached up to anchor Justin's head firmly against his own as they continued to kiss deeply.

As they broke apart several seconds later, Brian shook his head at the look of joy on Justin's face. "I hope you're happy, you twat," he chided the other man. "This is all your fault, you know." He tried to put a stern look on his face, but as he peered back at the beaming smile on his fiancé's face, he realized he was failing miserably. He shook his head and curled his lips under as Justin chuckled in response.

He snorted as he rose from the chair and reached his hand down to help Justin up. As he wrapped his arms around the slender body, he growled huskily, "I believe we were rudely interrupted earlier. Care to pick up where we left off?" He quirked one eyebrow upward expectantly as he waited for the other man's response.

Justin beamed as he leaned up to place his arms around the brunet's shoulders. "I'd love to, Mr. Kinney," he confirmed before they both came together for another kiss, this one more passionate than before as their tongues began to duel for supremacy. As Brian walked his partner backward toward the path to their bedroom, clothing quickly being discarded once more, thoughts of what would await all of them in the near future were quickly replaced by more immediate, pleasurable pursuits.

* * *

Once more, Fin and Tony sauntered down the sidewalk near Brian's loft, hand in hand. This time, though, Tony discerned a distinct difference on his lover's face; it was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "That was certainly a surprise, wasn't it?" he asked the brunet. "You ARE going to go, aren't you?"

Fin turned to stare at his partner. "Are you kidding? After all this, I wouldn't miss it. I know we still have a long way to go, but it's a start, isn't it? And I can't wait to see Sean and Kathy there, too - it's been so long since we last met." He bit his lower lip briefly before softly saying, "I hope they don't blame me for all this."

Tony frowned. "What do you mean? How are YOU to blame?"

Fin stopped to stare into his lover's face. "Maybe if I had stayed in Johnstown, things would have been different for Lydia - and for Brian."

Tony reached up to cup the side of Fin's face. "You don't know that, Fin," he told his partner. "You didn't have a crystal ball back then, and you didn't even know she was pregnant," he pointed out. "So quit punishing yourself for something you had no control over. What's done is done - it's time to look forward now."

Fin smiled as he reached up to cup the other man's hand in his own. "What would I ever do without you, Counselor?" he asked tenderly.

Tony twisted his mouth. "You're not ever going to have the opportunity to find out, Senator. Besides, I intend to make full use of all of the Governor's mansion's luxurious accomodations when you're elected, trust me," he teased his partner.

Fin's face turned serious, however, as he gazed into his partner's eyes and whispered simply, "I do, Tony - I trust you completely...and I love you so much," before he leaned down and kissed his soulmate. "Now let's go celebrate my wedding invitation from my son."

* * *

TBC...


	21. Rehearsal for the Real Thing

_Marshall Inn Suites – East side of Pittsburgh_

Tony lay on Fin's torso, his own chest heaving as he tried to control his furious heartbeat and will his ragged breathing to slow down. He and Fin had always been quite "compatible" when it came to their sex life – he had certainly never had any reason to complain all these years – but after what they had just engaged in, he decided this particular little romp would definitely have to rank up near the top.

He smacked his lover's chest as he heard – and felt – Fin's chuckle. "What is SO funny?" he groused.

Fin twisted his lips as he looked down into the indignant blue eyes. "Nothing…Just a little gloating."

Tony glared up at the mischievous hazel eyes peering down at him. "Gloating about what, _Senator_?"

Fin smiled. "Oh – about how much of a stud I am," he announced proudly, his hand idly rubbing small circles on the blond's shoulder.

Tony's breath hitched at the affect the other man's seemingly innocent action had on him; damn, how this man could affect him after all this time, even now… "A stud, huh?" Tony said breathlessly, gulping in a large swath of fresh air to try and regain his normal breathing. "And how do you figure that, oh Great One?"

"Well, I'M not the one having trouble getting air back into my lungs, now am I?"

"Oh, really?" Tony growled throatily as he suddenly turned to pounce on his startled lover, straddling his chest before the man could say _filibuster_. "Let's just SEE who's best at holding their breath, shall we?" he purred huskily as he swooped in for a deep kiss from his partner and they proceeded to engage in a heated "wrestling match" for the next several minutes.

"Okay, okay, you win," Tony finally conceded later as they again lay, bodies entwined on the large, king-sized bed after their second bout of fucking. "I hereby crown you the official King of Stamina," he pronounced charitably as he heard Fin laughing softly. "So what's brought on all this additional energy besides my being your inspiration?"

Fin stroked the blond's hair as he whispered fervently, "You'll _always _be my inspiration, Counselor." As Tony blushed slightly, Fin went on to admit, "I guess part of it's relief that Brian invited me to his wedding; it must have just filled me with extra energy," he said, his eyes twinkling as he waggled his eyebrows playfully. "You just happen to be the lucky recipient."

Tony smiled. "I certainly am," he readily agreed. He idly caressed his partner's chest for a few seconds in silence before he softly said, "Fin?"

The brunet looked down into the thoughtful blue eyes, readily hearing the concern in his lover's voice. "What, Baby?"

"Do you think there's going to be a lot of fallout tomorrow due to the press conference?"

Fin continued to play with Tony's soft hair as he considered that question. He was done trying to withhold the truth from his partner. "Probably," he softly said. "I pretty much expect some, I guess. I'd say it's unavoidable."

"You're…not sorry you went through with it, then?"

Fin shifted in Tony's embrace to look directly into the blond's eyes; he reached down to cradle the man's chin in his hand as he said firmly, "No, Tony, I'm NOT sorry….not one bit. The chips – and my political career – will just have to fall where they may. I knew that was a possibility when I decided to go through with it."

"But….."

Fin's eyes flashed as he pressed a little more firmly on the man's chin to quiet him. "Listen to me, Mr. Cassinelli – I don't know if you intended it, but when you told me you wouldn't remain in the background silently any longer about our relationship, it definitely helped to crystallize for me what was important and what wasn't." He smiled a little self-deprecatingly as he added, "I guess I just decided I rather enjoyed having your tight little ass and warm body in bed with me."

Tony smirked. "Oh, now the _real _reason comes out," he teased. "You were only after my hot body all this time."

Fin pulled the blond's head up to his to deliver a brief kiss before smiling. "Yeah…..something like that," he said tenderly, leaving no doubt that that was only a small part of it. His face became more serious as he added somberly, "Tony…..I know it's not going to be easy persuading some narrow-minded people that my being gay has nothing whatsoever with my ability to run this state efficiently. My challenge, then, will be persuading those that don't give a shit about my sexuality to get out and vote for me."

Tony reached up to gently brush some errant hair away that had fallen into his lover's eyes. "Are you prepared to lose if it comes down to that, Fin? I know how much you've always wanted this." From practically the first moment they had met, it was all Fin could talk about – at least in between the times he was persistently pursuing him and fucking the shit out of him.

Fin stared into the mesmerizing blue eyes he knew so well – and loved so much. "As long as we're together, my love, I can get through _anything_," he said with conviction; the intense look he gave his partner made the other man's heart race and left him with no doubts that he meant every word.

Tony smiled up at his partner. "You'll never get away from me easily, Senator…Remember, I didn't get to be such a good attorney by backing away from a challenge."

Fin twisted his mouth up. "Good…because something tells me we're about to take on the fight of our lives, Counselor."

* * *

_Britin – Late Evening_

"Daddy! Jus'n!"

Brian had barely opened the front door of their home before he scooped up the flash of mischief that ran full tilt into his arms. "Hey, Sonny Boy!" he cried out affectionately, smiling as he leaned down to plant a quick kiss on the little boy's head. He wasn't totally surprised Gus was still up at this relatively late hour, at least for his son. He knew his little boy could be a pretty determined little fellow when he didn't want to go to sleep at his normal time. "What have you been up to today, little man?"

Justin reached over to give the little boy a hug while he was still cradled in his fiancé's arms. "Hey, Buddy," Justin greeted him, smiling. There was always something about this little version of his fiancé that made his burdens and worries always seem so much lighter, at least for a while.

"Gus! What did I tell you about opening the door to stran….." Lindsey smiled in relief as she walked into the hallway and noticed who their "visitors" were. "Thank goodness," she said. "We've been trying to break him of that habit. Sometimes he gets a little carried when he thinks there's company at the door and just comes barreling over there. _Somebody's _supposed to be in bed," she said, eyeing the hazel eyes staring back at her innocently from his father's hold.

Brian nodded, smirking, as he gently placed his son back down on the floor. "Just wait until later when he finds out what ELSE you can do in bed," he teased, looking over at Justin, who blushed slightly in embarrassment. "He'll never want to get out of it, then….."

"Brian! Please!" Lindsey said in mock horror, smacking her friend briefly on the arm. "Give the boy time to grow up first!"

Brian smiled back at her as he asked his son again, "So what did you do today, Sonny Boy?" His eyes twinkled as he peered down intently at the miniature version of himself. "Did you go see the horses today?" Brian had told Lindsey it would be okay to visit the stables as long as they stayed away from Samson, his rather rambunctious horse; instead, he had directed her to let Gus pet one of their more tamer horses, and maybe if he was comfortable enough tomorrow, he and his son could take a ride together (on the same horse, though…..).

Gus bounced lightly up and down on his feet excitedly as his eyes lit up. "Yeah, Daddy! Mommy took me to see them! They're big…..and really, really hairy!"

Justin and Brian exchanged amused glances. "Yeah, they sure are," Brian agreed. "Did you get to feed one of them an apple?" Britin was heavily wooded near the stables with a variety of both nut and fruit trees, including several types of apple trees; every time Brian walked down there lately, the horses automatically knew he would be bringing them an apple to eat and they had promptly become spoiled as a result. If he forgot to pick up some for them, he swore to Justin that they actually pouted when he showed up empty-handed.

His son nodded his head vigorously. "They took it right out of my hand…they tickle, Daddy!" he proclaimed, giggling at the memory.

"That's great, Sonny Boy!" Brian exclaimed, smiling that his son had apparently immensely enjoyed his experience today. "Tomorrow we'll take a ride together, okay?" He peered over at Lindsey to make sure she was all right with the idea – when he had first broached the possibility, she was less than enthused by the idea of her son being on a 10-foot-tall beast until Brian hastily explained he would be on the same horse with him.

Lindsey still didn't look too thrilled with the idea, but she knew Brian dearly loved his son and would make sure nothing happened to him. Besides, now that he had let the proverbial cat out of the bag, there would be no stopping his son from forging ahead. Sure enough, upon hearing that, the little boy began to jump and down in excitement. "Can we, Daddy?" he asked, his eyes alight with the idea of riding one of the magnificent creatures. "What time do they get up? When does it get light out?"

Justin chuckled. "Looks like the two of you got a date first thing tomorrow, Dad," he said, smiling at Brian's slightly pained look. He knew his fiancé was taking the rest of the week off prior to their wedding, mainly to spend as much time as he could with Gus and also to help with any last-minute preparations, but Brian had been hoping he could sleep in just a little later than normal, also – and sneak in some extra fucking time to boot with a certain blond. It appeared his plans, however, would not be succeeding in quite the way he had hoped.

"Be careful, Mr. Taylor, or you'll have to get up early and go with us," Brian warned his partner in return.

Justin tried to shush him, but it was too late. Upon hearing that idea, Gus immediately thought that was a great suggestion. "Yeah, Jus'n! You have to come, too, okay?" He peered up at his "second" daddy with those pleading, hazel eyes that were so reminiscent of someone else's and Justin was powerless to resist.

He sighed as he glanced over at Brian with a _you are SO going to pay for that_ look before smiling down at Gus and confirming, "Sounds good, Buddy."

"Yay!" Gus cheered. "We're going for a horsey ride tomorrow, Mommy!"

Lindsey smiled. "Oh, that sounds like fun, Sweetheart," she told her son. "Why don't you go let Momma know what you'll be doing tomorrow? I think she has your bath ready by now."

Gus hesitated briefly, torn between the excitement of telling his other mom what he'd be doing tomorrow, and his feeling of reluctance about taking a bath. Finally deciding the pros outweighed the cons, he nodded his head. "Okay, Mommy," he said, as he looked over at his father. "Will you be up to read me my story, Daddy?" he asked.

Brian smiled tenderly at the little boy. "You bet, Sonny Boy," he said. "As soon as you're done with your bath." His eyes softened as he gave his son a small pat on his butt and watched him promptly scamper away to run up the stairs and tell Mel what adventure he would be undertaking tomorrow.

The three adults were finally left alone, giving Lindsey an opportunity to speak to Brian privately, as the three of them walked down the hallway and into the study. As Justin and Brian sat down together on the couch with Lindsey facing them from a nearby chair, she asked, "Did you see your father's press conference this morning, Brian?"

Justin glanced over at Brian to gauge his reaction to her prying. No, it wasn't really prying, he decided, just inordinate curiosity. After all, until a few days ago, no one except him even knew Brian HAD a different father. He really couldn't blame Lindsey, who had known Brian for so long and shared a child with him, from being interested in knowing Brian's reaction to what his father had said this morning.

He wasn't sure how forthcoming Brian would be, though – just the idea of this prominent man being his real father still took some getting used to by his fiancé – but he noticed his partner didn't seem too affronted by her question. He noticed Brian inhaled a soft breath before replying simply, "Yeah, I saw it on my laptop."

She and Justin shared a mutual look between them as if Justin was cautioning her to proceed carefully before she asked, "What did you think?"

"Well, he _seemed_ to have all the politically-correct answers," Brian responded. He glanced over at Justin before adding, "I told Justin it did take a certain amount of balls to do what he did, I guess. I'm just not a hundred percent convinced he did it all for the right reasons."

Justin sighed inwardly; after Brian had actually invited Fin to their wedding, he had been hoping – maybe a little too optimistically – that Brian was finally beginning to accept Fin at his word. Apparently, however, there was still going to be some hard work ahead of them to get Brian and his father to arrive at the same crossroads regarding their relationship.

"Did YOU see him?" Brian asked his friend, interested in knowing what her impression had been. He knew that Lindsey would be straight with him, no matter how unpleasant the opinion might be. He knew when it came to his father, he definitely needed the unvarnished truth. He trusted Justin totally, but he _also_ knew how badly his partner wanted things to work out with him and O'Connor, so for that reason he wasn't sure that Justin could be totally impartial regarding the man's motives.

Lindsey was silent for a few seconds, gathering her thoughts before she said, "I was actually impressed with the man and his responses, Brian. I really thought he was being straightforward about his reasons. I mean, what "hidden motives" would he have? I can't really see what possible advantage he would have by telling a mainly conservative audience that he's gay. If anything, it's bound to LOSE him a lot of votes, not gain any."

Brian noticed Justin giving him a look that said, _See – I told you_, before he shrugged a little at his partner in concession. "Maybe," he said, still not totally convinced. "Time will tell, I guess," he said philosophically. Brian unexpectedly revealed to her softly, "I did tell him he could come to the wedding."

She started. "You…..invited him to your _wedding_?" she said, astonished. "When?"

"Earlier this evening. He and his partner showed up at the loft unannounced – and at a most _inopportune_ moment, I might add." He glanced over at Justin, who averted his eyes to avoid Lindsey's knowing look. There was no misunderstanding just what sort of "moment" Brian's father had no doubt "interrupted," knowing Brian.

She frowned, however, as a thought occurred to her. "He showed up – in Pittsburgh? What was he doing there? And how did he know where to find you?"

"You can blame Sunshine's mother for _that_." Justin looked over at him with a _who, me?_ sort of look and shrugged. "He and Cassinelli decided to grab a bite to eat at the diner, of all places, and Mother Taylor happened to be eating there at the same time. He overheard her and Debbie – God help me – talking to each other about the wedding, and put two and two together. The only lucky part was that Debbie apparently was too busy waiting on other customers to stick around long enough to see them, or else he would have no doubt been on the gay gossip circuit within the hour."

Lindsey pursed her lips in amusement. "Wow! So Jennifer knows about him now, too?"

"No, she doesn't, at least not THAT part," Justin supplied for her. "Fin told us she probably noticed a resemblance between him and Brian, but he just gave her some sort of story that he needed to speak with Brian regarding some business they had, and he hadn't been able to reach him at Kinnetik or by phone. He managed to talk her into giving him the address to the loft. It seems both father and son have the same affect on men AND women." He glanced over at Brian, who simply shrugged now himself as if that was a given.

Lindsey smiled. "Apparently so," she said, agreeing. She looked at Brian intently. "You definitely get your genes from your father; he's a very handsome man."

Brian snorted. "Well, I'm glad he was around when it counted most," he grumbled. "If you don't mind, though, I'll think I'll reserve judgement until I decide for myself which side of the fence he's on." He looked over at Justin as heard the blond sigh softly. "What?" he growled defensively.

"Nothing." Brian continued to stare at him intently, one eyebrow raised in a silent challenge, until Justin let out a deep breath and capitulated. "I just hope the two of you can come to an understanding eventually," he said softly.

"This isn't a contract negotiation we're talking about here, Sunshine," Brian told his fiancé. "Everything isn't black and white and can be sealed over a couple glasses of Beam and a written document. Although a document is what got me in this situation in the _first_ place," he growled.

Justin bit his lip a little apprehensively. "Are you saying you're sorry I ever found it?"

Brian reached over to take Justin's hand reassuringly. "No, Sunshine, that's not what I'm saying," he said more tenderly, gently rubbing the pale hand with his thumb. "Although it certainly would have made my life a lot less _complicated_."

Justin nodded. "Yeah, I guess it would have," he conceded. "But since when was your life so simple, anyway?"

Brian pondered that statement before admitting Justin had a point. "Yeah….but something tells me it may about to get even _more_ complicated."

Lindsey silently agreed, but she _also_ knew her friend would somehow manage to get through it, just like he always did. Except now, he had Justin by his side. Since he had met his partner so long ago now, Brian had slowly evolved into the more complex man he was now. He wasn't so reticent about displaying or voicing his emotions as much as he used to, and Lindsey attributed that partly to their son, but mainly to the man her friend was about to marry.

"I'm sure you'll persevere just like you always do, Brian," she told him as she stood up. "But speaking of complications, though, I'd better go upstairs and make sure a certain little boy is behaving himself in the bathtub. Despite what you might think, Mel always seems to let him get away with more than he should. I think you and Senator O'Connor passed your persuasive charm on down the genetic line."

Brian smirked. "Well, it IS hard to contain," he agreed, evoking a rolling of the eyes from Justin.

She smiled back at her friend as she prepared to leave. Her face turned more serious, though, as just before she left she said, "Just go with your instincts, Brian. You've always had a knack for doing the right thing – I have confidence that you will _this_ time, too." She reached down to give her friend a kiss on the cheek before, smiling at Justin, she turned and headed out of the study to go upstairs.

The two men were finally left alone in relative privacy; for once, the house was relatively silent as they sat together in companionable silence. Brian continued to gently caress the blond's hand for a few seconds before he eventually said, "You really do trust him?"

Justin gazed at his partner tenderly, noting the almost vulnerable, fragile tone to Brian's voice. For someone who was normally so self-assured and confident, finding out he had a different father had turned Brian into an unsure, hesitant man, at least when it came to this subject. He was grateful, though, that his fiancé was asking his opinion and valued what he had to say. "I…guess you really can't be one hundred percent sure," he admitted. "But my gut feeling is that, yes, you can. He's changed his position tremendously since he first found out about you, even at the possible cost of giving up his dream to be Governor. That takes a lot of courage to do that, Brian. He sounds resolved to accept the consequences, whatever they might be."

He squeezed his partner's hand. "I don't think you should turn down the chance to at least get to know him better and find out what sort of relationship you can have with him. I know he has Tony's support he can count on, but I think he's going to need whatever additional support he can get. I don't envy what he's going to be up against, but I admire him for going through with it." He smiled softly. "I would expect nothing less, though, from Brian Kinney's father."

Brian gazed back at his own personal, fierce supporter and curled his lips under. "You would, huh?" he asked.

Justin smiled as he nodded. "You bet," he said softly. "Like father, like son."

Brian reached out to ruffle Justin's hair at the back of his neck. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered by that statement or not," he mused as he gazed back at his partner.

"Just give him a chance, Brian," Justin implored quietly. "Maybe it'll turn out to the best thing that ever happened to you."

"No, Sunshine," Brian immediately corrected him, gazing back at him intently. "YOU are."

"Brian," Justin murmured in a choked voice, touched by the unwavering and unexpected declaration. He pulled Brian toward him to bestow a kiss on the willing lips. As they finally pulled back several seconds later, he whispered, "Ditto, Mr. Kinney."

He scooted over closer to his fiancé and pressed his body up against his side as Brian continued to hold his hand. The crackling of the fireplace's flames was the only sound they heard for quite some time until the stillness was broken by the ringing of Justin's cell phone. He looked over at Brian apologetically as he straightened himself up slightly and reached over to the coffee table to retrieve his phone.

"Hello?"

Brian didn't have to listen in to know from the rambunctious sound coming from Justin's phone that the caller was their friend and erstwhile wedding planner, Emmett.

"Hey, Emmett, how's everything going?"

As Justin listened to Emmett providing an update on their upcoming nuptials, Brian noticed a slight furrow flicker across Justin's brow.

"Uh, Emmett…..is it too late to add a few more guests to the rehearsal dinner Thursday?" He looked over at Brian warily for his reaction. As Brian shook his head slightly in confusion, he turned back to the phone to ask, "Em….can you hold on for just a second?"

As he placed his hand over the speaker part of his cell phone, he turned to Brian but didn't have to verbalize what he was thinking – it was written all over his hopeful, somewhat anxious face.

"Justin…"

"Come on, Brian! Don't you think it'd be a good idea for them to come?"

"Kathy and Sean, maybe, my father and his partner, no."

Justin sighed. "Why not? Wouldn't it be easier to introduce them there rather than waiting the day of our wedding to get up and say, by the way, here's my long-lost, up-until-now unknown gay father who just happens to be running for Governor, and his long-time partner?"

Brian stared back at the blond in exasperation. "Why does my father have to be introduced to everyone _at all_? Why couldn't he just be another acquaintance who's a guest for the day?"

Justin shook his head. _One step forward, two steps back….._ "Come on, Brian! You think everyone's going to believe that someone who's an almost exact duplicate of you is just an _acquaintance_? They're not going to buy that. I've got two words for you – Debbie Novotny."

Brian sighed; Justin was right – he had already committed himself to letting O'Connor and Cassinelli attend their wedding. There was no way that Debbie wouldn't get one good look at the man and instantly figure out there had to be a connection there, no matter HOW outlandish. The resemblance was just too striking. It was one thing to bamboozle Mother Taylor; it was quite another thing to deceived Eagle-Eyed Debbie.

"All right, all right," he finally acquiesced grudgingly. "Tell Emmett we need to somehow squeeze in another four guests for the rehearsal dinner. Maybe if we're lucky, he'll have some other commitment that night." _At the rate I'M going, I'LL be the one needing to be committed…_

Justin beamed at the concession. Turning his attention back to the phone, he said, "Em – we'll need another four places for the rehearsal dinner – you think you can find the room? It's really important." Justin was relieved that Emmett seemed to realize it must have something to do with Brian's father, because after hesitating a few seconds, his friend simply told him, "I'll take care of it somehow, Baby," before reminding him of the time they needed to be ready Thursday and disconnecting the call.

"Maybe we should have had the dinner here at Britin all along," Justin commented as he flipped the phone shut. They had discussed it preliminarily, but had ultimately decided, instead, to hold it at a swanky banquet center near downtown Pittsburgh so it was more conveniently located. "At least we would've had plenty of room out on the back patio."

"Yeah, maybe, but most people wouldn't have wanted to drive out here twice in one week – to them, West Virginia is in another country." He glanced over at his little mischief maker before pointing out, "It wasn't too long ago that _you_ felt the same way."

Justin smiled. "Yeah…well, I've since warmed up to the idea," he said softly. "The added _benefits_ were just too good to pass up."

"Yes, I am," Brian quipped, his lips curled under in amusement.

Justin rolled his eyes at him before he flipped his phone back open. "You want me to do the honor?" he asked. He knew it would probably mean more coming directly from Brian, but somehow he didn't think Brian was comfortable yet extending more than the cryptic invitation that he had already given out for the wedding.

"By all means – that sort of assignment normally falls on the bride's shoulders, anyway," he told his fiancé solemnly.

"Ha, ha," Justin retorted. He started to look up the number of Brian's grandparents before his fingers stopped and he turned to look at his fiancé. "You think I should ask Sean and Kathy first how they feel about Fin and Tony coming here? They haven't seen him in a long time, and it's bound to bring up some memories of your mother. Do you think I should ask if they mind?" Another thought suddenly occurred to him. "They don't even know he's gay, Brian! How do you think they're going to feel about _that_?"

Brian hadn't thought about that, either. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "I mean, that was so long ago, Justin. Surely they've come to terms with it by now. I don't think they would begrudge him the opportunity to be here." Inwardly, though, he realized this _could_ prove to be awkward; how would they feel about the man who had impregnated their daughter suddenly waltzing in with a male partner that he has been together with for almost ten years now? Would they resent it?

"Maybe they saw the news conference," Justin offered. "If they did, that would certainly save us from doing a lot of explaining."

"Yeah, it would, but we can't count on that." Brian had actually grown fond of his grandparents during the relatively short time he had known them, and didn't want them getting a major shock when they showed up for the rehearsal dinner and discovered his long-lost father there with a male lover. He realized what he needed to do. "I'LL call them, Sunshine," he told his fiancé, deciding it was time for him to get personally involved in this aspect of their wedding plans. "I guess I owe them that much at least."

Justin was somewhat surprised by Brian's willingness to call Sean and Kathy, but in a way it made sense. He HAD noticed that both Brian and Gus had seemed to enjoy being with them and his grandparents certainly had been welcoming to both of them as well. He was glad, then, that at least Brian was definitely warming up to the idea of having a cordial relationship with his maternal grandparents. He just hoped that they would not only continue to encourage their bond, but also provide Brian with the encouragement to seek the same type of relationship with his father.

Handing his phone over to Brian to use, he watched as the brunet dialed the number and waited for them to pick up. "Sean?"

"Brian?"

"Yeah, it's me." His tone of voice at the moment was more like a hesitant, little boy rather than a confident, self-assured businessman.

Justin wanted urgently to hear both sides of the conversation; Brian must have intuitively figured that out, because he pressed the speakerphone button on Justin's cell phone and Justin heard the ebullient voice of Brian's grandfather responding.

"Brian, it's so GREAT to hear from you!" Sean enthused sincerely. "How are you and are little roustabout great-grandson, the champion fisherman?"

Brian smiled at the moniker – it certainly fit his son well, at least the _roustabout_ part anyway.

"We're both fine, Sean. How are you and Kathy?"

"We're both great, Brian," the brunet heard Kathy saying. He smiled – he knew from past experience how they both liked to listen in on two different extensions at the same time; this was apparently no exception.

"That's great," Brian told them. He hesitated for a second as his grandparents waited with a pregnant pause for him to continue. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, dear?" Kathy urged him.

Brian glanced over at Justin, who nodded his encouragement for him to continue. "I…..was wondering if you were free this Thursday evening."

"The 17th? Uh…..let me think. Kathy, when are our tickets for the musical?" Sean asked his wife.

"They're not until NEXT week, Honey," Kathy told him through the phone; Brian couldn't help smiling at their form of an "intercom."

"Oh, yeah, that's right – they're for the 24th," Sean reminded himself. "Looks like we're free as a bird, then," he told his grandson. "Why?"

"Uh….I'd like for you and Kathy to come to my and Justin's wedding rehearsal dinner that night. It's at 7:30 in downtown Pittsburgh at the Wellington Banquet Center. I'm sorry about the short notice, but do you think you could make it?"

Either Sean and Kathy spoke for each other all the time, or they were standing nearby in sighting distance, because Kathy immediately exclaimed excitedly, "We'd LOVE to, Brian! Are you sure?"

"Of course," Brian responded with certainty. "Justin and I both want you there – after all, you ARE part of our family now." And he really DID mean that – he was even a little surprised himself to realize just how important they were quickly becoming to both him AND to his son.

He thought he heard Kathy sniffle a little as she replied more softly this time, "We'd be thrilled, Brian. Thank you. We'll be looking forward to it all week!"

Brian took a deep breath before plodding on. "That's great, Kathy. But there's something else I need to tell you and Sean before you commit to coming. Did you by chance watch the morning news about Fin?"

Kathy and Sean shared a mutual look of curiosity. "No," Sean answered for them. "We were actually both at a dentist appointment until close to noon – why?"

Brian hesitated briefly before explaining, "Well, he held a press conference this morning to formally announce he was running for Governor," he began.

Sean nodded at his wife as he said, "I'm not surprised by that – he's been wanting to do that for a long time."

Justin reached over to lay a hand on Brian's arm for support as the brunet continued. "Yeah, well, that wasn't the biggest surprise he announced." Brian inhaled another breath before letting the words fall out in a rush. "He _also _introduced his partner to the press this morning."

Kathy and Sean exchanged a shock look. "You mean his….._business_ partner?" Sean asked tentatively, even though somehow he knew that wasn't going to be the case. How could this BE?

"No," Brian confirmed quietly. "His name's Tony Cassinelli – he's a rather influential attorney in Harrisburg. He and Fin have been _partners_ – LIFE partners – for almost ten years now."

Kathy sucked in a shocked breath at this revelation as Sean reached out with his free arm to steady her. The man who had pursued their daughter, had a relationship with her, and impregnated her, was GAY? "I don't understand, Brian," Sean finally said in confusion. "How is that possible? The man was positively infatuated with our daughter in high school! How could this happen?"

Brian hurried to explain. "Some people who are gay don't realize it until their adulthood; they experiment around during high school, or act the way they think others THINK they should act, until they finally feel free enough to be the person they were meant to be. Apparently my father falls into the latter category, because he's definitely gay."

"My God," Kathy murmured in shock. "I don't know what to say. To think all this time, I thought he might still be carrying some torch for our daughter, and now this….."

Brian closed his eyes, afraid this was going to happen. "Look….I just wanted you to know ahead of time, because I told Fin and his partner they could come to the wedding." _In a moment of weakness_, he thought silently, even though he knew that wasn't totally the truth; no one had forced him to do it, although Justin was definitely pushing for it. "I was considering asking him to come to the rehearsal dinner, too – I thought it would mean there would be less questions at the wedding itself. But if you don't want him there, I will certainly respect your decision."

In a way, Brian was hoping that was _exactly_ what they would do; for some reason, he was almost afraid of seeing his father again. The man managed to conjure up some feelings he didn't even know he possessed any longer; he had thought that any hopes and dreams of having a _real_ father had died a long time ago, even before the horrible man masquerading in that role had died. Apparently, though, they hadn't ALL been vanquished just yet.

"Hang on a minute, Brian, okay?" Sean asked his grandson. He placed his hand over the mouth of the phone and turned to his wife. "What do you think, Kathy? Can we handle running into Fin again, knowing what we know now?" Somehow it almost seemed like a betrayal of their daughter's love for this enigmatic man to turn up at the man's son's wedding, even if Brian WAS their only grandchild. But on the other hand, was it fair to Brian? They really DID want to get to know him as well as they could, and attending his rehearsal dinner would be a good start to that wish. Could they put their resentment aside for the sake of their grandson?

Kathy finally nodded. "I don't think we have a choice, Honey. We're going to have to face him sooner or later. It would probably be better in a more intimate setting, rather than at a grandiose wedding." Besides, Kathy didn't want anything to take the chance of ruining her grandson's wedding to the young man who had impressed them with his concern, passion, drive, and persistence.

Kathy nodded her head at Sean, who returned to his phone to say, "We appreciate your concern, Brian, but it's okay. Go ahead and invite him – I think we'd rather see him again there first, rather than at the wedding. It'll be okay," he reassured his grandson firmly. As he glanced over at the worried face of his wife, he only hoped that once they DID see Fin again, their plan to be civil and courteous to the man didn't fly out the proverbial window at the first sight of him.

Brian turned to look at Justin as he hung up with his grandparents. "I don't know, Sunshine," he said warily. "They didn't exactly sound wildly enthusiastic."

Justin stared back at him, not quite sure how to respond. He actually agreed with Brian – Sean and Kathy seemed somewhat hesitant about meeting Fin again, especially after what Brian had just told them. He certainly hated to see something come between Brian and them; things had been so well for the three of them lately, and Gus seemed to really like his new great-grandfather, especially.

"They just need some time to adjust to the idea, Brian," Justin told his partner. "They'll come around – they accepted our relationship initially – they'll learn to accept Fin's, too, you'll see." He tried to sound optimistic for Brian's sake, but truthfully, he was a little nervous about the first reunion between Brian's grandparents and his father. It had been his idea to invite them; if everything blew up in their face, it would be HIS fault.

Brian cradled Justin's head in his left palm, stroking his cheek lightly as he whispered softly, "I hope so, Justin." He handed the phone over to his partner, telling him, "You're turn now, Sunshine. I'll let you take care of THIS one." He had already gone beyond what he ever thought was possible by inviting his father to the _wedding_; he wasn't up yet to playing the congenial host by inviting him to their rehearsal dinner as well.

Justin nodded as he flipped the phone open and dialed Tony's number; the two of them had bonded so well lately over their mutual woes regarding two particularly obstinate, independent and moody men, Tony had given Justin his number and told him to call any time he needed to either simply vent or "compare notes," in the attorney's words.

"Tony?" Justin said, as heard the familiar voice of his counterpart.

Sitting up with his torso against the headboard, Tony glanced over at Fin to get his attention as he responded, "Justin! This is sort of a surprise. Did we forget something earlier?"

Fin eyed his partner curiously as he recognized who the caller was. Was his son backing out of his somewhat less-than-enthusiastic invitation to attend his wedding? It wouldn't surprise him – his son was still obviously unconvinced that his motives were straightforward.

Fin held his breath as his partner continued to speak with Justin. "Really?" he heard Tony said, his face registering great surprise. "This Thursday evening? Hold on a second, Justin – let me check my and Fin's calendars, okay?" He placed the cell phone temporarily to ask Fin, "Any idea if you have plans this Thursday evening? Anything on the docket that day?"

"Why?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity as to why he was asking. "What's going on?"

"Quit hedging, Senator, and just answer the question," Tony said somewhat impatiently; he wanted to answer Justin before somehow Fin's son had a chance to change his mind.

"Well, _excuse_ me, Mr. High and Mighty Attorney," Fin responded a little testily. Nevertheless, he internally racked off his appointments for the coming week before saying, "No, I don't think so – nothing in the evening, anyway."

Tony nodded, returning to the phone. "Sounds great, Justin – we'll be there. Yeah….I can just do a GPS for it, don't worry. And tell Brian thanks." Fin watched while his partner's face turned serious as he listened to something Justin was telling him. "Oh….really…..yeah, I'll make sure he knows – I'm glad you told me ahead of time. We'll see you then." Tony slowly closed his phone, turning to Fin thoughtfully.

Fin did a double take at that last statement – just what was going _on? _"What's going on Thursday? The wedding is on Saturday."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, but the rehearsal dinner is this Thursday."

Fin's eyes widened. "Justin invited us to their _rehearsal dinner_? That must have been HIS idea – it couldn't have been Brian's."

Tony titled his head. "Well, maybe, but the way Justin said it, he said THEY wanted us to come, not HE did. And I doubt that Justin would go out on such a limb and invite us to the rehearsal dinner without Brian's knowledge – that'd be a good way to end their marriage before it even started."

"I don't believe it," Fin murmured in disbelief. "I was shocked enough when Brian threw in that invitation to their wedding. I wonder what possessed him to invite us to the rehearsal dinner, too?"

Tony reached over and placed one hand on his partner's chest. "Not sure, Fin….maybe, though, Brian's shell is cracking just a tad."

Fin reached to grasp Tony's hand and cradle it against his body. "Well, I'll wait until I see proof of that," he said skeptically. "I get the distinct impression that Brian doesn't open up to a lot of people." He looked away from his partner and over to the gas fire currently blazing. "I don't think growing up with such a shithole of a father was much help, either."

"Fin….." Tony knew exactly what his partner was thinking and he was determined to undermine that negative feeling immediately. "Don't you dare lay a guilt trip on yourself because you weren't around when your son was growing up. You didn't even _know_ about him! Don't let yourself get caught in that trap – I know if you had known about him, you would have been there for him."

Fin shook his head, unable to adequately express in words just how important this man's love and support was to him. He chose instead to try and show him. He tenderly reached down to softly rub his fingers across the full lips he knew so well. Finally finding his voice, he said, "I can't believe I almost gave this up." He leaned in with the intent of giving his partner a kiss, only to have Tony put his hand against his chest to stop him. Fin frowned in concern. "What, Baby?"

"There's one more thing you need to know, Fin." He took a breath before he divulged, "Justin said Brian's grandparents are going to be there, too."

"Sean and Kathy?"

Tony nodded, watching a play of emotions spread across his lover's face.

"It's…been a long time since I've seen them," Fin answered softly. "I wonder how they'll react to seeing me."

"Not just to _seeing_ you, but seeing you with ME." Tony reached up to play with a lock of Fin's hair. "Fin, maybe you should go alone to the dinner."

Tony shuffled his body against the headboard so he could stare intently into his partner's steel-gray eyes. "What are you talking about? Why?"

"Because it's going to be hard enough seeing the man who had an affair with their daughter so long ago and in essence never looked back since then." He hastened to add, "I'm sure they don't blame you, Fin, for what happened. But it's bound to be hard enough seeing YOU without having your gay partner thrown in their face on top of it."

Fin shook his head – that was NOT an option. "No, Tony, either we go together or not at all. It took me long enough to figure out how insane it was to keep our life together a secret – I'm not going to push you back into the shadows now. We're in this together, remember? We're a team – where I go, YOU go. You got that, Mister?" he said forcefully, reaching over to grasp Tony's chin for emphasis.

Tony's eyes misted over as he whispered, "Yes, Sir, I got it," before Fin smiled in relief and leaned in for the kiss he had been craving for the past several minutes.

The older man asked, "Now that we have that settled…..how about we engage in a little personal cross-examination, Counselor?"

Tony smiled broadly as their two bodies slowly slunk back down onto the mattress. "Sounds like a solid plan, Senator. I have a lot of _probing_ I'll need to do – this might take all night long."

Fin smirked, rolling his lips under. "I was _hoping_ you would say that."


	22. Countdown to the Wedding

_Next Morning – Dawn – Carriage Inn Suites_

Tony wound his arms around his lover's torso from behind and smiled appreciatively as Fin preened in front of the room's vanity mirror. "Stunning as usual, Senator," he verified as Fin grinned back at the other man's reflection. His partner was wearing a navy, pin-striped suit with a dark-gray tie that molded to each lean curve of his body and complimented the grayish-blue tint of his eyes perfectly.

"I am, aren't I?" he cracked, as Tony shook his head at him good-naturedly.

"I guess I should have expected that," Tony said as he slowly turned the brunet around to face him. He reached up to straighten the knot of Fin's tie. "You _never _have been able to tie your tie on straight," he softly scolded the other man before he reached up on his tip toes to plant a firm kiss on the willing lips.

"Uh, uh, uh," he clucked when Fin tried to prolong the kiss by promptly gliding his tongue into Tony's mouth. "None of that, mister – you have to be in Harrisburg by 9:30 and I have to be in court right after that."

"Spoil sport," Fin muttered as he reluctantly broke apart from his partner. He stole one additional quick kiss from Tony before he sighed softly. "Maybe I'm just trying to put off the inevitable," he admitted.

Tony reached up to caress the other man's cheek, his eyes gazing into the other man's intently. "The inevitable?"

Fin leaned into the other man's touch before bringing his own hand up to clasp the other one. He brought both down to sweep his lips across the tender flesh of Tony's palm before releasing it and saying, "Yeah – I'd be lying if I said I'm looking forward to going back into chambers today. After the press conference yesterday, the media's going to be camped outside like fucking vultures."

Tony's soft blue eyes peered back at him sympathetically as Fin sighed and turned around to search for his suit jacket. "I know," he told the brunet. "I hate like hell you're going to be raked over the coals. I'm sure you'll feel like you've been through the Inquisition before today's over with." He walked over to Fin and helped him put his coat on. "I'm sorry you're going to have go to through that alone, Fin. If I could be there, you know I would. It's just that…."

"Shh," Fin said, placing two fingers over Tony's lips briefly to quiet him. "I know you have to get back to work, too, Baby. You've got a lot of clients counting on you. I'm just sorry _you're_ going to wind up being hunted down wherever you go, too." As he scooped up his wallet from the night table and placed it in his jacket pocket, he turned around to face his partner. "Are you ready for the media circus about to hound you? You know that's going to happen."

Tony smiled. "You mean now that I'm the _kept_ _man_ of a very influential, powerful politician who's destined to be the next governor of Pennsylvania?"

Fin snorted. "Hardly, Counselor; I _totally_ object to that statement. You're no more _kept_ than JUSTIN is with my son. Something tells me that young man has my son totally wrapped around his little finger – just like YOU have with ME."

"Oh, I do, do I?" Tony responded teasingly. He smiled. "Yeah…..I guess I do at that." He walked over to Fin and placed his hands on the other man's shoulders. "Well, then, your _superior_ demands another kiss before we leave this place and journey back to the stark face of reality."

Fin twisted his mouth in amusement. Just before he leaned over to do just that, he said huskily, "I think that can be arranged."

_

* * *

_

Britin – Same Time

From his vantage point sitting on their massive, king-sized bed, Justin looked over at Brian in amusement and rolled his eyes as he watched the brunet admiring himself in their full-length mirror near a tall, antique chest his fiancé had located and purchased for their house a few months ago. "How do I look?" he asked the blond, as he turned sideways to study the fairly casual clothes he had picked out for his first day off prior to their wedding. "Casual enough for you, Sunshine?"

Justin had laughed earlier when Brian had gotten up, taken a shower, and promptly reached in his closet to pull out a standard wardrobe ensemble for Kinnetik; he had promptly forgotten with all the excitement surrounding his wedding and meeting his father that he had decided to take the rest of the week off until they were married.

Justin smiled. "Well, you're a tad overdressed for what I _prefer _you to be wearing…..But it'll do for now," he decided. "You're amazing as always, Mr. Kinney."

"I am, aren't I?" Brian agreed, holding his hands out, palms up as he smirked.

Justin snorted. "Uh….yeah…Well, that goes without saying, doesn't it?" he said dryly as Brian grinned back at him. "Besides, I'm sure I heard the distinctive, telltale pitter-patter of little feet down the hall a few minutes ago while you were in the shower, so we'd better get going before Gus drives Lindsey and Mel crazy about going horseback riding." Justin had actually arisen earlier than Brian to get dressed and grab a bite of breakfast, anticipating that Gus would be raring to go once he knew he and Brian were awake.

Brian turned and walked back over to the bed to reach down and pull Justin to his feet. Giving his partner a firm kiss on the lips, he curled his lips under and quipped, "Well just so he knows he is NOT to go _barebacking_ unless he's found a monogamous partner."

Justin smacked him on the ass, shaking his head as Brian merely waggled his eyebrows at him playfully. "Well, if you don't mind, I think I'll reserve that little father-son chat for you. Come on, _Daddy_…..let's go get your son."

_

* * *

_

Three Hours Later – Federal District Court, Harrisburg

Tony turned to his partner as their rental car stopped in front of the imposing, brick building housing the District Court; his firm had been preparing for months to appeal an important issue in front of the federal judges and Tony knew he had to attend, even though he desperately wanted to be with Fin when he re-emerged at the capital building on the first day after yesterday's startling press conference.

"How are you going to get back home later?" Fin asked the blond.

Tony shook his head slightly as he reassured the other man, "Don't worry – I'm sure one of my colleagues will drop me off at home after court's out of session." He peered into his lover's eyes briefly; he thought he could see just a hint of apprehension behind the steel-gray eyes that were normally so full of confidence and self-assuredness. "Fin, maybe I could….."

"No way, Tony," Fin promptly responded, precipitating what his partner was about to say. "Don't even _think_ about it. You've been talking about nothing else but trying this case since it was turned down at the local level six months ago." He reached over to splay his fingers around the back of Tony's neck and feather the soft hair as he whispered, "I'll be _fine_, Counselor. Really. As long as I know you're supporting me, and you'll be there when I get home, I can manage to get through anything now."

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat, chiding himself for his sentimentality as he felt the unshed tears threatening to fall. He took in a breath before managing to say firmly, "I'm not going anywhere, Fin. Don't let them get to you. Stand up to them – and remember," he whispered, "I love you."

Fin twisted his mouth tenderly before pulling the other man's head toward him to nuzzle their noses together gently before placing a kiss on the soft lips, "I love you too, Baby. Now go – I'll be fine."

Tony nodded silently, but his eyes were still full of concern for his partner; he knew, however, that Fin was adamant about needing to do this on his own terms. As he unlatched his seatbelt and took a quick look around to make sure they hadn't been followed, he opened the door and stepped out, briefcase in hand. Leaning in to look at his partner, he reiterated, "I'll see you at home later as soon as my case is adjourned for the day, okay?"

Fin nodded and smiled softly. "I'll be looking forward to it. If I run into any problems today, I'll just stop by the bakery and pick up some of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Now go knock 'em dead, Counselor."

Tony smiled back at him a little more easily now before standing up and shutting the door. As he watched Fin drive away alone, he fervently wished he could be there with him to stand by his side and support him in what he knew would surely be a very trying day for his partner. He knew, however, that while he couldn't be there physically, he was sure that Fin knew he _would_ be there at least in his heart. _Good luck, my love_, he silently broadcast to his partner as he turned to walk up the stone steps of the courthouse.

_

* * *

_

Britin – Same Time

Justin clapped a hand over his mouth to keep his amusement from showing as Brian slowly limped into the kitchen from the back patio; Gus almost inadvertently caused his father to fall down as he rushed past him in a mad dash upstairs to report in to his two mothers to tell them all about his fantastic riding adventure around the property's grounds this morning.

The several acres surrounding Britin were comprised of both woods and fields, but to keep his son safe, Brian had made sure to keep their riding path to either the wide-open areas of the meadowlands or at least on the well-traveled dirt paths that meandered through the property's heavily-thicketed woods.

To impress his son with his riding skills, however, Brian had decided to keep their horse at a trot most of the way; the result of so much jiggling, however, was a ecstatic Gus, who was still jumping up and down in excitement over his adventure, and a sore-assed Brian, who was now experiencing the effects of having a lean, not-one-ounce-of-fat ass sitting on a saddle with his son for the past 2-and-a-half hours.

As he gingerly sat himself down on an overstuffed chair in the library, he glared over at Justin. "Why do you look so dewy-fresh after being on your horse for two and half hours while I feel like shit?"

Justin sat down near his fiancé on the couch and smiled back at him brightly. "I have more padding on my cute little bubble butt than you do," he answered. "My mom and I always said your ass was way too scrawny, remember?"

"Excuse me?" Brian retorted. "_Scrawny_? I never heard you complain about my ass before when YOU were fucking it," he pointed out.

Justin chuckled at the insulted look on Brian's face; he didn't dare point out that Brian had just openly mentioned that from time to time he doesn't mind being a bottom for a certain blond. "Well, you do have a point there," he admitted. "In those circumstances I DO prefer a lean and toned ass. But when it comes to horseback riding, it can be a disadvantage."

Brian huffed out his indignation. "Well, thanks for the backhanded compliment, Sunshine."

Justin laughed softly at his partner's pained look – well, under his current situation, perhaps Brian really WAS in pain. "I'll tell you what, Mr. Kinney – to protect my own interests, later today why don't I take you upstairs and after we have a nice, long soak in the garden Jacuzzi tub, I'll give you a deep, penetrating massage in bed, paying special attention to your delicate little ass."

Brian twisted his mouth and rolled his eyes briefly before muttering, "I like the _deep, penetrating_ part but I may need a brief recuperative period before I can engage in the type of activity I prefer to associate those terms with."

Justin snorted, pursing his own lips into a smile. "Fair enough, Mr. _Ride Like the Wind_." Brian shot him a glare as that comment evoked just the image Justin had intended it to – the time right after his cancer a few years when he thought, mistakenly, that he could endure the Liberty Ride without so much as a broken fingernail; instead, he had wound up with a broken collarbone and a severe injury to his dignity to boot.

His attempt for a snappy comeback, however, was interrupted by the sound of their front doorbell ringing.

Justin stood up. "Ah, literally _saved by the bell_," he teased as Brian silently mouthed back a _ha-ha_. "That's probably Emmett – he wanted to go over the last-minute details for the rehearsal dinner. Want to join us?" He knew, however, what Brian's response would be, even if he _wasn_'_t _suffering from chafed cheeks on his _scrawny little ass; _despite his expertise in advertising, Brian still preferred to let Justin handle most of the actual nuptial and reception details.

"I don't think so, Princess. I'll leave the oohing and ahing over tablecloth colors and flower arrangements to you and Honeycutt." He slowly stood up, groaning a little as his stiff body rebelled against him. "If you need me, I'll be upstairs with my new friend, Ben Gay." Just before he left, however, he mentioned one more thing. "Just remember – no cutesy drinks with umbrellas, okay?"

Justin laughed as Brian slowly stumbled toward the room's exit and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before slowly shuffling down the hallway towards the steps.

Justin walked over to the front door to greet his friend, who beamed at him from the other side of the storm door.

"Hey, Baby!" Emmett said, taking Justin in a brief hug to give him a kiss on the cheek. "How's my favorite groom-to-be doing?"

Justin smiled at his friend, glad to see the ebullient man after a rather tumultuous week. "I'm doing good, Em," he verified. "Why don't we go out on the back patio and talk? It feels so great outside today; I hope it's this nice on Saturday for the wedding."

"Sounds good," Emmett agreed as he stole a quick glance over at his friend as walked into the kitchen. He decided his friend wasn't being a hundred percent frank with him, but as they walked companionably toward the French doors he decided to wait a little while before he inquired about it.

"We've got some iced tea in the fridge," Justin told him. "Want some?"

"Yeah, Sweetie, thanks," his friend replied, nodding.

As they sat down at one of the glass-topped, round tables a few minutes later with their drinks, Emmett had a better chance to study his friend. "You look a little tired, Justin," he observed. "Brian been a little too frisky for you while he's been off work?" he asked teasingly, a twinkle in his eye.

Justin snorted before replying softly, "I _wish_ that was the problem….._that_ I could deal with."

Emmett grew quiet as he gazed at his friend thoughtfully. "It's not Brian's father, is it?" He asked finally. He was dying to learn more about the man who had mysteriously appeared in Kinney's life not so long ago; he knew some things about the man already from what Justin had told him, but he was extremely curious to learn more.

Justin sighed as he looked into his friend's face. "Well, yes and no, I guess," he admitted somewhat vaguely. "I mean, Brian seems to be finally warming up to the idea of having a father in his life, but it's been an uphill battle for _both_ of them. Fin really has been trying hard to win him over, but it's hard for Brian to trust people most of the time. And all this time he's never really considered what it would be like to have a _true_ father, not that asshole prick that raised him. I just think it's going to take a while before he truly opens up to the type of relationship Fin really does want to have with him."

Emmett nodded his understanding. "After you told me about him, I made it a point to watch his press conference yesterday. My God, Sweetie, you're weren't kidding – he looks just LIKE Brian! That man would most definitely NOT have to take a paternity test. And to think all this time the world had TWO Brian Kinneys running around! Just think if the two of them had been at Babylon at the same time – they would have had to put a revolving door there to keep up with the activity in the back room!"

Justin twisted his mouth in amusement briefly and grinned back knowingly at his friend. "You're probably right, but better not let Brian hear you say that – he still thinks no one could ever follow after him in quite the same way." Of course, while he and Brian did occasionally return to his fiancé's place of business to dance, kick back with a couple glasses of Beam, or just check in with the manager to make sure things were running smoothly, he knew that Brian seldom really felt the need to return there simply to make his presence known. The two of them had long since moved beyond the need to establish their relationship in front of everybody, or cement Brian's reputation as the man who couldn't be topped – figuratively as _well_ as literally.

"Don't worry, Baby," Em assured him. "I wouldn't dare…..I've been victim to the wrath of Hurricane Brian too many times before." As Justin chuckled, he continued, "Well, as your most favorite wedding planner, sounds like the _least_ I can do is make sure that the rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception all go off smoothly to reduce any more stress. Want to go over the plans for Thursday night first?"

Justin smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." As Emmett nodded and pulled sheets of paper from a large manila envelope, Justin hoped that the hectic pace of the coming week would nonetheless prove to be a happy one for all parties involved.

_

* * *

_

Harrisburg Capital Building – 30 minutes later

As he drove up in his rental car, Fin was grateful that at least the private parking lot for Senate members was off limits to the press so they wouldn't be able to nip at his heels as soon as he got out and they recognized him. He already assumed they would be camped out by his office, waiting for a chance to grill him further regarding his press conference yesterday. Now, however, they had _three_ topics to discuss with him: his candidacy for governor, his announcement about being gay, and his startling admission that he had an illegitimate son as well.

He fucking _hated_ the word "illegitimate;" to him, that awful word made it sound as if illegitimate also meant _unwanted_, and that couldn't be further from the truth. He had always yearned for a son, and would have loved to have been there when Brian was growing up, but now that he had met the rather obstinate, pig-headed, self-assured, and proud man – the man that reminded him so much of himself – he strangely enough felt an even _stronger_ desire to have him in his life. In fact, now that he had met both him and Gus, his grandson, he couldn't imagine them – or Tony, for that matter – not being in his life at all. He shook his head, amazed how his world had turned upside down in the past few weeks.

The biggest change, though, was that while he still wished as strongly as ever to be Governor so he could hopefully change a lot of inequities in the state regarding civil rights, he knew if he didn't win it wouldn't be the end of what he had worked for. Yes, it would be harder to accomplish the same goals from his Senate seat, but he was still the most influential and powerful Senator there and he could still wield considerable weight from that position. And now he had the added bonus that he not only had the full support and love of his partner, but it appeared that at last his son was finally beginning to warm to the idea of him being his father.

He kept those encouraging thoughts in his mind as he drove into the garage and stopped at his private reserved spot. As he emerged from the car, he took a deep breath before reaching in to grab his attaché and begin walking purposely toward the lower level elevator. This time, though, instead of getting off at the lower floor and walking up the steps so he could secretly enter through the private back entrance to his office, he was going to get off on the proper floor and walk – head held high – right into the lion's den otherwise known as the horde of publicity-hungry media.

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Pennsylvania District Court - Same Time

"Tony? Court's about to be in session – you ready?" Tony glanced over at Brad Jeffers, one of his colleagues on the defense team for their court appeal, peeking his head through the door of the attorney's side chamber. He mentally flashed a _good_ _luck_ message to his lover, somehow hoping he would hear it, before he nodded and smiling slightly. "Yeah….let's go get 'em," he said. _You too, Fin…..you too…._

* * *

Fin sighed softly as he stepped off the elevator. He wasn't surprised to see what appeared to be at least 30 press people huddled around his office door, cameras and microphones at the ready to record every syllable uttered from his mouth. He felt he had addressed most of their concerns yesterday, but he knew the press. He would be no doubt rehashing the same questions over and over again for the next several months; he might as well get used to it. Well, if they thought they were going to beat him down over his statement yesterday, they had another thing coming. Now that he was dedicated to what he had said yesterday, he was in all the way. That didn't mean, however, that he was ready to divulge more information about either his son or grandson; he had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't tell them anymore about Brian or Gus until which time his son gave him the okay. He had worked much too hard to gain Brian's confidence – however shaky it may be – to do something know to revoke it.

"Senator!" The shouts started as soon as someone spotted him approximately 50 feet away; as soon as one person called to him, the other "lemmings" immediately followed suit and rushed down the hall toward him. Fortunately, Mario and Charles, two of his bodyguards, were standing on the perimeter of the group waiting for him and managed to get to his side just before he was surrounded by a sea of faces and flashing cameras.

Mario placed his fingers in his mouth and, just like Tony did yesterday, let out a shrieking, shrill whistle, a sound so loud that everyone miraculously quieted down, at least enough for him to be overheard over the murmuring reporters. "Back off, ladies and gentlemen! Give the Senator room!" he shouted authoritatively as the two men grasped Fin by each of his upper arms and moved with him as one toward the man's front office, the sea of press jostling the trio as if they were a ship in a stormy swell of angry waves.

"Mario," Fin tried to say above the noise. "Mario!" he shouted a little louder, finally getting his bodyguard's attention as the man turned to look at him. "I want to make a statement before I go in," he told the burly man, who frowned at him.

"Are you sure, Senator?" the bald-headed man asked. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea – look at this mob!" They continued to purposefully walk with Charles, the other bodyguard, down the hallway toward Fin's office as they discussed what to do.

"I'm sure," Fin practically shouted. "Just give me a few minutes and make sure I don't fall flat on my face – figuratively as well as literally," he joked. Mario, however, did not quite see the humor in the situation, taking his role as bodyguard quite seriously. He did, however, realize who paid his salary, so against his better judgement, he reluctantly nodded his understanding as the crowd reached Fin's office door.

As they came to a stop in front of the door, Fin turned his head to nod slightly at Mario, who again raised two fingers to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle to get everyone's attention. As the din of the crowd again died down enough to be heard, Fin cleared his throat before stating, "I have a brief statement I wish to make in follow-up to my press conference yesterday morning."

He glanced out at so many of the faces he had grown to recognize, and even become friends with, over the past several years. Many of them seemed to be staring back at him sympathetically, but somewhat to his surprise, more than a few of them actually appeared to have hostile looks on their faces. Was it possible that some of these so-called "friends" he had known all these years were, in reality, homophobes? Well, he didn't care – to hell with them. He was out now and there was no going back.

"I will not be taking questions this morning," he said forcefully. "I feel that I more than explained my position yesterday. Please!" he beseeched more loudly as the crowd began to pepper him with questions despite his statement. "I will, however, be having another press conference sometime next week to announce further plans for my campaign for Governor. My press secretary will be providing you will all the details as they become available. I just want to say that I hope the people of Pennsylvania will come together and decide who is best to run their State for them. I am confident knowing how involved and intelligent the voters of Pennsylvania are, they will be able to put aside any philosophical differences and do what is right for everyone, regardless of their orientation. The rights I will be asking for on behalf of the gay community are no different than those who decry other kinds of discrimination due to gender, race, or religion. I am merely asking that the same rights be applied to ALL groups. That being said, I also want to make known and assure the people of Pennsylvania that gay rights are not ALL I will be advocating as Governor – I have long been a champion of the underprivileged, the handicapped, and the environment, just to name a few of my special interests. I have championed these rights for years as Senator, and I fully plan to continue those goals as Governor. All I ask is that everyone keep an open mind during the next few months, and I ask for your ongoing support. That is all I have to say for now – thank you."

As soon as he finished his impromptu statement, the volume of those people surrounding him again rose to a calamitous roar while Mario almost shoved Fin inside the office as soon as Charles managed to hurriedly open the door and allow the three to virtually stumble through the entrance.

As the three of them breathed a sigh of relief against the now-closed door, Regina glanced up in amusement. "Hard day at the office already, Senator? You should have been the one answering your phone!" She huffed as she added, "I think you're going to need to hire some temporary phone help, Fin, unless you're planning on turning me into a full-time switchboard operator."

Fin let out a breath as he walked over to his assistant's desk. "I'm sorry, Regina," he said apologetically. "I should have warned you about yesterday's train wreck before the locomotive left the station."

"Well, that would have been nice," she responded a little defensively. "I've only been your assistant for ten years now. It wasn't like it was some great secret about you and him, you know? Although, you definitely threw me with the "unknown son" news"

Fin nodded – his assistant had known about Tony for years now – he simply hadn't thought to warn her ahead of time about what he was going to do - or about his son. "Yeah, I know, Regina," he acknowledged. "I just didn't think to tell you ahead of time, and I just recently found out about my son - honest. Don't worry, though – I'll get Rick to hire some interns for the phone calls – your talents are much too wasted doing that grunt work."

Regina glared at him for a few seconds as if she were still highly indignant over her boss' oversight, but she couldn't stay mad at the man for too long – after all, he HAD trusted her enough to tell her his secret years before anyone else knew, and she had honored his wishes by never telling anyone, even her own husband. She supposed, then, that she could forgive him now for this oversight. "Well, see that you do, Senator," she growled. "My fingers are about to fall off from answering this phone."

Fin nodded as he looked down and noticed that all four incoming lines were blinking, indicating they were all in use by caller impatiently waiting to speak to her. Making a mental note to call Rick, his press secretary, as soon as possible, he smiled back rather sheepishly at Regina and told her, "I'll do it as soon as I get into my office – I promise." She finally rolled her eyes in mock disgust before grinning back at him; he winked at her in return and turned to escape into his inner sanctuary.

Finally alone with his private office door closed after leaving Regina and his two bodyguards to stand watch in the lobby, he walked over and sat down at his desk, sitting there for several seconds to catch his breath and just bathe in the momentary silence. He knew he would have to walk down to the main Senate chambers shortly to partake in a vote on one of the bills he was sponsoring to severely limit off-shore oil drilling, so there was no avoiding his public appearance there. This time, however, he would take advantage at least for now of using the secret back entrance to ride down to the main lobby in relative obscurity. He knew there would be plenty of other opportunities in the coming months to defend his position, but at the moment he found that he just couldn't deal with it again anymore this morning.

As he reached for the phone, however, to call Rick about the additional personnel he would need, he heard his cell phone ringing. Smiling at the thought of who it must be, he flipped his phone open. "Hey."

"Hey," came the tender rejoinder. "How is it going?"

"You just saw me a little while ago, Counselor," Fin answered, unable to keep the affection out of his voice. "I couldn't have gotten into _too_ much trouble by now…."

He heard a distinctive harrumph sound from the other end of the phone. "You forget – I know you, Senator. How many people did you have to beat off with a stick before you were allowed in your office?"

Fin smiled. "Oh…..I'd say only about 25 or 30," he answered truthfully, promising himself that he would never lie to this man again – not after what he almost wound up losing before.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Fin," Tony replied somberly, his voice betraying his concern for his lover.

Fin shook his head. "It's okay, Baby," he said. "It wasn't too bad – I mainly just gave a statement and told them no more questions for now. I'll be holding another press conference for that next week when they can ask questions. I just didn't want to open any more can of worms this week with Brian's wedding coming up." He was quiet for a few seconds before admitting, "I hope somehow I don't fuck up his wedding. I would never forgive myself if that happened – not after everything he's been through."

"Why would you think that, Fin?" Tony asked, bewildered. "He _asked _you to come to the wedding as well as the rehearsal dinner. How could you possibly ruin them?"

"Well, not intentionally," Fin explained. "I just hope somehow the press doesn't get wind of either one and show up to create some kind of scene. I purposefully didn't mention Brian's name or his being gay for that reason. If somehow they find out…."

"Fin…..Quit being such a pessimist," Tony scolded his lover. "We managed to get away from the press yesterday, and we can do it again. Brian wouldn't have invited you if he hadn't wanted you to be there, and I know JUSTIN does, too, so quit being such a naysayer."

"Yes, mother," Fin responded dutifully as he heard Tony snort. "I'll try to play nice the rest of the week. If I do, will you reward me?"

He could almost hear Tony's smile as the blond replied, "Well, I always believe in rewarding those who are worthy, Senator. Come home tonight and I'll see what I can do to inspire you to stay that way the rest of the week. Just - NO chocolate chip cookies in bed, okay?"

Fin smiled, his worries, as well as his spirit, lifted somewhat just by the reassuring sound of his partner's voice. "Yes, sir - no chocolate chip cookies in bed - check. I'll be there waiting for you with bells on, Counselor," he said softly… "and wearing nothing else but a shit-eating grin. Don't be late."

Tony's breath hitched in his throat just at the thought of what would be greeting him upon his return back home later. "Duly noted and appreciated, Senator," he said somewhat breathlessly. Later," he added in tender goodbye.

"Later, Baby," Fin whispered as he gently flipped his phone closed. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the landline phone to resume his business, knowing that despite whatever happened today, he would now be able to get through it thanks to his partner.


	23. A Family Secret to End all Others

Thursday – Late Afternoon - Harrisburg

"Will you quit squirming?" Tony groused at his partner. "I swear, Fintan O'Connor, if you don't stay still, I will take this fucking tie and _strangle _you with it‼"

"Kinky, Tony," Fin retorted. "I thought you told me you weren't _into _that kind of shit."

"I _wasn't_," Tony said as he struggled to tie the knot in his partner's silk tie properly. "At least not until NOW," he added ominously. He glared back at Fin in aggravation until he saw a slow smirk spread across his partner's lips and he couldn't help the begrudging smile that appeared on his own face in response. "Fucker," he muttered, as he finally managed to straighten the knot to his satisfaction. He started to pull back to get a better look at his partner's appearance when Fin abruptly pulled him to his body and gave him a resounding kiss for a few seconds.

"Huh," Tony answered as they broke apart some time later. "Don't think a little foreplay's going to keep you out of trouble," he warned his partner.

Fin licked his lips and smiled broadly. "It always has before," he pointed out helpfully as Tony twisted his mouth in amusement.

"Yeah, I guess it has," he agreed reluctantly. "Well, now that _you're _presentable, I'd better go get dressed myself." He sighed as he gathered up his suit hanging over the closet door in preparation for his shower. "You know, just once I wish we could actually travel somewhere as is, instead of pretending to be the reincarnation of James Bond." He reached over to pick up a navy blue felt cap with an attached head of dark hair and a beard. "You really think anyone's actually falling for this, Fin? Come on – this outfit looks worse than a dime store disguise. And the fucking thing itches like hell, too."

Fin slipped his dress shoes on before saying, "I think you look hot with black hair, Baby."

Tony snorted. "Yeah – hot like an oven. This damn thing makes me burn up. By the time we get to the rehearsal dinner, I'll look like I've gone several rounds with a boxer."

"Nah," Fin disagreed. "They'll just think you and I had a lot of fun before we got there."

Tony glared at him again. "Fin, this _isn't _funny! I was hoping once you came out loud and proud, so to speak, that we could dispense with the ridiculous subterfuge! Tell me again why we're doing this." Tony actually already knew that answer, but he decided he would be difficult about it anyway. He wasn't blaming Fin for it – he knew it came with any well-known political figure or celebrity – but he had truly been hoping that once his partner had made his announcement about being gay and his intention to continue running for Governor, things would at least die down a little and they could experience at least a little anonymity. He knew now that he had been naïve about that wish. The reporters continuing to camp out just outside their residence's gates were as determined as ever, if not more so, to obtain the latest scoop before anyone else. If anything, the crowds around their home and Fin's office had gotten even _larger_ recently. They not only had to contend with the local media now, but also the state and national press as well. It seemed that despite the belief that they were now living in more of an enlightened era, the thought of a gay man with a steady, monogamous partner running for Governor was still an extremely hot topic at the proverbial water cooler.

Fin sobered somewhat at the look of distress on his lover's face as he walked over to stand in front of him. "Tony, you _know _why. It's important to me that I don't fuck up Brian's plans for his wedding. It took a lot to get him to invite us to not only the wedding but to the dinner tonight. I don't want anything to go wrong for him OR me. And unfortunately, that involves a lot of deception on our part when it comes to getting past the press outside. Mario's going to drive my car out the front gate while we escape out the service delivery entrance, just like we've done dozens of times before. And don't forget, you won't be the _only_ one with a tacky disguise. I'll trade you my red, wavy-haired wig and round sunglasses for YOUR disguise any day."

Tony let out a frustrated huff. He was willing to do whatever it took to encourage Fin's relationship with his son – he knew how badly his partner wanted to get to know both Brian and Gus better – but it was extremely frustrating not being able to come out in the open. It seemed that merely revealing their relationship wasn't going to be enough to allow them to come and go as they pleased.

"Tony?" Fin whispered, concerned that his partner wasn't going to accept their rather difficult situation. His lover had already nearly broken his heart when he had left him; just the thought of something like that happening again was too hard for him to even contemplate. He lightly laid his palm against the blond's cheek and softly rubbed his thumb across the pale skin. "You know we can both ditch the disguises as soon as we know we aren't being followed." He looked at his partner with almost fright in his face as his voice slightly broke in worry.

Tony's eyes misted over a little; he wasn't sure if they were due to his frustration over their present situation, or the tender, almost vulnerable tone in his partner's voice. Did Fin really think he would leave just because things weren't going exactly the way he had hoped? He leaned his face into the other man's caress as he hurried to assure his lover, "I understand, Fin, really. I don't necessarily _like _it, but I understand. And just for the record, Senator, I thought I already told you - I'm not going anywhere."

He watched as his lover's face immediately softened in relief before he placed his hands on the brunet's upper arms and leaned up on his tiptoes to steal a brief kiss. "As much as I'd love for you to grovel a little more, Fin, you'll have to excuse me; I have an Armani suit and a $2.00 disguise to put on." He smirked as his lover grinned before scooping up his clothing and gaudy disguise and hurrying into the shower to start getting ready.

As he watched Tony go, Fin couldn't help thanking his lucky stars for this man who was so supportive of him and so courageous. _I love you, Tony Cassinelli_, he whispered to himself as he hurried to place the finishing touches on his own outfit.

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Pittsburgh – The Loft

"Brian! Where's my navy and silver tie you bought me last year for my birthday?" The damn silk Armani monstrosity had cost Brian an ungodly amount, Justin had determined, which was unfortunate in a way because he always seemed to be trying to lose it, at least unintentionally. Truthfully, he hated getting all dressed up – he much preferred a good, comfortable pair of jeans and a soft, cotton, long-sleeved tee shirt to this monkey suit he was being forced to wear. But at least he had the consolation that his rather constrictive clothing wouldn't stay on him very long once he and Brian came back here to the loft.

Both of them had decided to just stay overnight here rather than drive back to Britin afterward; Lindsey was coming – after finding out Brian's father was going to be there with his partner, wild horses couldn't have kept her away – but Mel had begged off for the evening, advising them that Gus seemed to have come down with some sort of tummy ache. She had assured them she felt it wasn't anything serious – merely a case of a certain little eating machine that had overindulged way too much earlier today on junk food that he had located in Justin's "secret sweets stash" drawer (Justin had forgotten to remove all of the chocolate items from there before Gus' visit, unfortunately, and Brian's son had found it in record time).

Gus had pretty much cleaned out the chocolate candy and cookies before Mel found the lower-level drawer hanging open and an innocent-looking child with tell-tale chocolate smears and cookie crumbs all over his mouth smiling up at her from his strategic position on the kitchen floor. One hour later, the little boy's glee over his treasured find had turned instead into a groan of discomfort as the full effect of too much of a good thing had eventually struck him full force. Justin felt terrible that because of his oversight, he had caused Gus to get sick and miss seeing his newly-acquired "favorite" great-grandpa and great-grandma, not to mention Fin and Tony. If he had only remembered to move everything before Gus had gotten there….

"Look in the nightstand drawer, twat," came the somewhat patronizing response from the bathroom area. "And quit beating yourself up over Gus – he's got an iron stomach. He'll be just fine for the wedding."

As Justin walked over to the nightstand and pulled out the narrow drawer to locate his tie right where Brian had said it would be, he shook his head. How did Brian know what he had been thinking? _Damn, arrogant fucker_…

He walked over to the bathroom to find Brian standing in front of the double-vanity mirror, shaving while wearing one of his blood-red, Egyptian towels slung low over his hips. Justin silently marveled at how, even after seeing this man so many time doing the exact same thing and wearing the exact same towel, just the sight of a freshly-showered, still-wet Brian Kinney always made his heart do wild calisthenics even without touching him. "How did you know I was thinking about Gus?" he asked as he came to stand next to his fiancé.

Brian rinsed off the shaver and laid it down next to the sink before turning to face his partner. "Because I know how that little blond head of yours works, remember?" he said, curling his lips under in amusement as he placed both of his hands on Justin's biceps. "I could hear you worrying all the way over here." He took the tie, which was hanging loosely around the blond's neck, and began to tie it for him. "Now stop it…he'll be just fine, you'll see. Just tell him tomorrow what desserts we'll be having for the reception Saturday and he'll perk up immediately – works on YOU every time." He finished straightening and knotting the blond's tie just before Justin reached around to swat him on the ass.

"Hey….watch it, Blondie! I'm going to _need_ that particular piece of my magnificent anatomy for the honeymoon."

Justin rolled his eyes as he smirked. "Oh, really?" he asked, his eyes full of mischief as they looked up at the taller man, whose eyebrows waggled in response. "I think your _cock_ is most important as far as I'M concerned. I agree that we definitely need to keep that part in tiptop form."

Brian grinned. "Definitely the _top_ part, at least." He leaned down to plant a firm kiss on the willing lips but pulled back just before Justin had a chance to deepen it further to the blond's disappointment. "Not now, Taylor – have to finish getting dressed. Wouldn't want you to be late for your own dinner now, would we? Not having at least two pounds of food squared away inside that cute little belly always makes Sunshine a grouchy boy…."

"Fuck you," Justin grumbled, swatting Brian on the upper arm this time as the brunet chuckled and walked over to the bedroom closet to retrieve the clothes he was going to wear. "Now you know that's true, Justin. I wouldn't dare bring you back here at least without a full stomach. Wouldn't want your stomach growling during a good, old-fashioned round of fucking later."

As Brian began to slip into his pants, Justin walked over and sat down on the side of the bed facing him. "Brian?"

"Yeah, Sunshine?" _Why did he have the feeling they were about to have one of those deep, philosophical conversations any moment?_ He continued to get dressed, pushing his arms through the soft chocolate-colored Prada shirt that was custom tailored to mold to every inch of his frame. He admired the silky feel of the material as he buttoned it up and reached for his tie. "Here," Brian said, reaching the strip of fabric out toward his fiancé. "You can return the favor now."

Justin stood up to walk over toward his partner and take the tie from him. As Justin worked, Brian took advantage of their close position to stare into the intense blue eyes that were presently focusing on placing the tie around his neck; the pink tip of Justin's tongue snaked out in concentration as he worked. Brian thought he would never get tired of being with this fascinating man – the eyes, the lips, the pale, almost translucent, smooth skin, even Justin's smell – so uniquely fresh and just HIM. And even though most would probably scoff at it, to Brian what made Justin even more wonderful was what he had on the _inside_ – despite everything he had been through in his life, he was still a compassionate, sweet, intelligent, and passionate man, and thankfully most important to Brian, still totally devoted and in love with HIM.

"There," Justin said eventually, giving the knot one last push upward to make it as straight as possible. "Dapper as always," he said, smiling up at Brian. He looked into the familiar hazel eyes that were staring back at him intensely with an odd look. "What _is _it?" he asked, wondering what was going through Brian's mind. He was curious, but not too overly concerned, because there was also a small hint of a smile on the brunet's lips as well.

Brian shook his head slightly. "Nothing," he answered softly. "Just…..thinking."

"Oh, that could be extremely dangerous," Justin teased, watching as one side of Brian's mouth curled up into a smirk. "I don't think your brain's too familiar with that activity."

"Ha, ha," Brian responded. "Well, since you're being such a smartass, maybe I don't wanna share with you what my brain was thinking, anyway." _And also because I don't want you to realize just how much power you have over me, and always will….. _

Justin huffed in mock indignation. "Well, who said I wanted to know?" He started to turn away to look for his wallet when Brian reached out and pulled him back to his own body, swooping down suddenly to deeply plunder the full lips so familiar but yet also so welcome to him. He anchored one hand firmly at Justin's neck to angle his head closer to deepen the kiss, while his other hand busied itself behind Justin's back to pull him roughly against him. Justin gasped a little at the unexpectedly possessive treatment as their tongues and lips dueled with each other for supremacy for several seconds until they breathlessly broke apart.

Justin's heart was beating furiously from the unexpected rush he felt as he pulled back to stare into Brian's eyes, which were wide with emotion. "Brian? What IS it?"

Brian shook his head, too inexplicably choked with emotion to speak for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and let it out before softly admitting unexpectedly, "Just thinking how lucky I am."

Justin smiled. "Lucky?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Brian admitted, staring into Justin's eyes and leaving no question as to why he felt that way. As Justin's eyes filled with understanding, the intensity of the moment inexplicably made Brian a little uncomfortable as he said, rapping his knuckles lightly on top of the blond head, "Well, before you go getting too big a head – up here, I mean," he added, smirking, "We'd better finish getting dressed. I don't know about it being bad luck for heteros to see themselves before the wedding, but I have it on proper authority that if queers show up late for their rehearsal dinner, it can mean only one thing."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…..cold food and bad lays for at least the next month."

Justin grinned. "Well…Wouldn't want _either_ of those to happen." He let go of Brian and turned with the pretense of needing to find his suit jacket. He knew, however, that Brian also needed a moment to resort back to the man everyone _else_ thought they knew and loved….at least, the man everyone _thought_ they knew….

"Ready?" Brian asked eventually as Justin pulled his jacket on and came to stand beside him.

Justin reached to take Brian's hand and said, "Yeah, I'm ready."

Brian smiled back at him as he briefly squeezed Justin's hand and reached for his _own_ jacket. "Well, then, let's go get this grand family reunion started."

_

* * *

_

The private dining area reserved for the Kinney-Taylor rehearsal dinner was bedecked with elegant tones of burgundy and silver on each of the several rounded banquet tables. The two grooms had elected a little less formal arrangement for this second rehearsal dinner, deciding that perhaps it would be better not to press their luck by rehashing the previous setup that had ended by mutual agreement, but nonetheless unsuccessfully. Tonight, the procedure would be a bit less formal – the several main entrees, side dishes, and desserts would all be served buffet style ans were set up alongside the far wall. Both grooms were determined that this time the rehearsal dinner – as well as the actual ceremony – would go off without a hitch.

Of course, that had been before Brian had found out he had a different father, and Fin and Tony had been invited to both the rehearsal dinner and wedding. This evening promised, then, to be like no other as the guests waited unknowing for the rest of the invitees to arrive.

"Daphne!" Jennifer cried out as she spied Justin's best friend rushing in, dressed in an elegant silver and navy blue tea-length dress, her hair arranged elegantly but casually on top of her head. Daphne had always been an attractive girl, but the responsibility of medical school and the advantage of maturity had turned her into an understated beauty.

"Hi, Mrs. Taylor!" Daphne rushed up to give her friend's mother a firm hug and a kiss on the cheek as she looked around her surroundings – this was the first time she had ever attended anything at this fairly new, upscale establishment located on the Alleghany River near downtown. "This is really something," she commented, as her eyes swept around the room appreciatively.

Jennifer nodded, smiling in agreement. "It is, isn't it? I've never been here before – I always wanted to see what it looked like on the inside, though." She leaned toward Daphne to say in a stage whisper, "I'm really hoping this will be the _last _rehearsal dinner I ever have to go to for my son."

Daphne laughed softly. "Yeah, me too." She looked around the medium-sized dining room. "They're not here yet?"

Jennifer shook her head. "Don't even think it," she said, only half-teasing. Everyone had been shocked the first time when Brian and Justin had decided to get married, only to wind up cancelling the ceremony just before the rehearsal dinner; the last thing everyone wanted to think right now was that they were about to do it again.

"Well, where the fuck _are _they?" Debbie groused as she walked up to the two women; she was dressed in the same red dress she had worn a few years earlier when she was trying to lure Carl back into her fold; it must have worked, because he was still here, walking up to stand beside her as he placed a placating arm around her shoulder. "Calm down, Debbie," he soothed. "I'm sure they're on their way."

"Well, they'd better be," she grumbled. "If Brian backs out now, I'll rip his balls out myself."

"What makes you think it was Brian's idea the _last time_?" Michael queried, overhearing what his mother said as he walked up to join them. "From what I understand, it was a mutual decision back then."

"Well, whoever's decision it was, they'd better not pull that _stunt_ again. I'm expecting a wedding Saturday, come hell or high water."

Carl smiled at his impassioned girlfriend; he knew how close she was to both men and how much she cared about them. He was confident that this time she wouldn't be disappointed, but he _did_ hope they showed up soon or Debbie no doubt would go out and track them down herself.

* * *

Outside in the parking area, Fin and Tony were just arriving. "Over there," Tony said to his partner, pointing his hand toward a sign on the right indicating the Wellington Banquet Center. Fin nodded as he steered the car over to a designated spot for the center and stopped the car.

The two men sat there for several seconds in silence as Tony looked over at his partner, wondering what exactly was going through his mind. "You ready for this?" Tony asked him, reaching his hand over to place it reassuringly on his jacket sleeve.

"That's a complex question," Fin responded as he turned to look at Tony. "I'm not sure there IS such a thing as 'ready' when we're talking about THIS situation. If I said I wasn't nervous, I'd be lying through my fucking teeth. The truth is, I'm nervous as hell about this. Not only am I going to see my son – and grandson – again, I'm about to come up against all of his friends, as well as Kathy and Sean." He let out a tense breath. "Well, one good thing is – if I can get through this evening without falling apart, I suppose I can handle anything that might pop up during the campaign, then."

Tony squeezed his arm. "You can do this, Fin. Look at how far you and he have come already. This will be a good thing – you'll see."

Fin looked into his partner's eyes that were so full of confidence and love and shook his head. "How did I get so lucky to find you, Counselor?"

"I don't know…..you were worried you might get falling-down drunk one night after a Senate filibuster and need legal representation, so you just sought out the hottest attorney you could find?"

Fin smiled. "Something like that." He leaned over and gave his partner a brief kiss, placing one hand on the side of the blond's face to whisper, "And you've been bailing me out ever since."

"You bet your sweet ass I have," Tony growled before he grinned. "Don't worry, Senator, I'll be right behind you tonight. Now get in there and impress the hell out of them."

"Yes, Sir," Fin replied, brushing his fingers across the blond's lips tenderly before unlatching his seatbelt and opening the car door. He looked around quickly in relief as he did not notice any tell-tale flashing of camera lenses before closing the door to join his partner on the curb. Taking Tony's hand in his, he said softly to him, "Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Wouldn't think of it," Tony immediately replied, squeezing his hand. Fin nodded his thanks, as slowly they walked toward the double glass entrance doors. As they were about to enter, he heard his name being called and tensed, thinking someone had indeed spotted them somehow, despite their precautions.

"Senator O'Connor?" Lindsey came rushing up from a few dozen feet away to join them near the front doors. "I'm Lindsey Peterson – Gus' mom? We met at Britin the other day," she explained.

A flicker of recognition, as well as relief, flashed across Fin's face as he realized who this woman was. "Of course," he said smoothly, smiling as he took her hand. "It's good to see you again." He nodded over to Tony. "You remember my partner, Tony?"

Lindsey smiled at the blond standing with his hand clasped in the other man's. "Yes, I sure do. Hello, Tony," she said cordially. She didn't really know why, but this man reminded her so much of _another _blond whose presence was always larger than life. It seemed father and son had at least this particular fondness in common.

"Hello," Tony said, smiling. "It's good to see you again, too." Seeing Gus' mother reminded Tony of something. "Where's Gus?" he asked, curious. He knew how badly Fin wanted to see his grandson, as well as son, again.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lindsey told them sympathetically. "He wasn't feeling well this afternoon, so Mel thought it would be best if they stayed at Britin tonight. He should be fine by Saturday for the wedding, though."

"But it's nothing serious?" Fin asked, concerned.

"Nothing that staying away from too many sweets wouldn't cure," she told him. "He found Justin's sweets drawer and decided to imbibe just a little too much in some chocolate. Let's just say he's suffering from the _eyes are better than his stomach_ syndrome."

Fin laughed as he opened the door for her and his partner. "I seemed to have suffered from that same malady when _I_ was his age, too. My parents used to claim I had a seasonal illness – from Halloween straight through until Easter."

"Don't let him kid you, Lindsey," Tony told her, smiling. "He STILL suffers from it – he's just graduated to more _adult_ food now – chocolate-chip cookies."

"Hey, don't give away ALL my secrets, Counselor," Fin kidded his partner as they followed Lindsey down the hallway. "They're liable to be used against me in a court of politics."

Tony grinned. "Well, you know what they say – all addictions finally get discovered in the harsh glare of daytime and campaigns."

Lindsey listened in amusement to these two men who seemed so suited to each other, just like another couple she knew so well. Each minute she spent with Brian's father just cemented her impression that this was an honorable, but somewhat scared man who was slowly coming to terms with not only a newly-found son but also a life out of the shadows. She truly hoped that he would be able to forge a lasting bond with her friend as well as with their son.

"You're coming to the wedding, aren't you?" she asked as they continued to walk down the hall toward the banquet room. Justin had told her Brian had miraculously invited them, albeit cryptically, to come. However reluctantly given it may have been, though, for Brian to do that was a huge leap of faith for him.

Tony and Fin exchanged glances before the Senator confirmed, "Yeah – I wouldn't miss it. I'm looking forward to it." He was scared as hell about it – being exposed to so many of Brian's friends and acquaintances – but he was still glad Brian had invited him to come.

"I'm glad," she told him, smiling, as they reached a door at the far left of the hallway. There was a temporary plaque set in the wall next to the door that read _Taylor-Kinney Dinner_. "Here it is," she instructed them, turning the knob to open the door.

As she opened the door, she heard Tony saying to Fin, "Take a deep breath – it'll be okay." She turned to see Fin flash his partner a grateful smile and her heart warmed at the tender expression that they shared as they walked through the doors.

* * *

_Wellington Banquet Center – Downtown Pittsburgh _– _7:15 p.m._

"Someone's coming," Michael said as the door to the banquet room opened. It wasn't Brian and Justin, however, but Lindsey walking in with two men no one recognized, except Jennifer, that is. As everyone looked over in disappointment that it wasn't who they were hoping to see, Jennifer stared at the two men, trying fervently to figure out why they seemed so familiar.

She caught Lindsey's eye, who smiled at her and started to walk over to the group with the two men who had entered with her.

"Lindsey! It's so great to see you again! How's Mel and Gus?" The two women exchanged kisses on the cheek as Lindsey smiled. "They're good," she said. "Gus had a slight tummy ache this evening – nothing serious," she assured Jennifer. "But Mel decided it would be best if she stayed home tonight with him."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Jennifer said to her, but her attention was focused instead on the handsome pair of men standing directly to her left. "Excuse me," she said to the two. "You two look familiar for some reason. Have we met?"

Fin and Tony exchanged glances; it was probably time to come clean about their subterfuge from the other night. As the others listened in curiously, Fin replied, "Yes….We met the other day in the diner. I was looking for Brian."

Jennifer's eyes lit up with comprehension. "Oh, _that's_ right! I remember now! Did you find him all right?" She had been a little apprehensive about giving out Brian's personal home address to this relative stranger, but he had seemed so genuine, and seemed to be so familiar with Brian's business, that she felt like it was all right to do so. The fact that he and the other man were here at her soon-to-be son-in-law's rehearsal dinner only made her even surer of that opinion, much to her relief.

"Yes, we did," the man told her, smiling. "I really appreciated your help, Mrs. Taylor."

"No problem, Mr. …?"

Fin glanced over at Tony as if he were soliciting his advice and saw his partner nod before he told her, "O'Connor, Fintan O'Connor. And this is my partner, Tony Cassinelli."

"Well, it's nice to meet you both," she told them as she smiled, not too surprised now when two men introduced themselves as "partners." She thought briefly of how things how changed so much since that first day she had discovered her son was gay and infatuated with a man 12 years older, to boot. Who would have thought she would be standing here six years later, waiting for her son to be _married _to the same man?

She thought about the man's name, thinking it sounded familiar somehow but unable to place why until Ted, who had walked up to join them, heard the introductions and supplied the reason. "You're the senator who held the news conference the other day to announce you were running for Governor, aren't you?" As the two men looked at him curiously, he hastened to introduce himself. "Oh, Ted Schmidt – I work with Brian at Kinnetik," he explained as they nodded.

"Oh, _that_'_s _where I remember your name from!" Jennifer exclaimed as the pieces fell into place. "I knew the name sounded familiar for some reason. I remember reading about your announcement in the paper the other day. That was a pretty courageous thing you did in front of so many people," she told him.

Tony looked over at Fin and smiled in agreement as Fin spoke up. "Well, I'm not sure how courageous it was after hiding it all this time. But now that it's out in the open, I'm glad I did it."

"Well, not only did you come out about being gay, but you also mentioned you had a son you just found out about recently, didn't you?" Ted pressed him. He had always had a fascination for politics, and the story this man had revealed the other day had intrigued him, especially the part about having a son he didn't know about until a few weeks ago. "That must have been quite a shock."

Fin took a breath and licked his lips as he looked over at Tony for guidance as to what to do. The entire truth had to come out sometime – he just wasn't sure if it was his place to divulge it. How would his son react to him telling his friends and business acquaintances about their hidden relationship? He hardly knew these people at all – how could he know for sure that he could trust them not to go running to the press? Was it even his right to tell them? He knew, also, that he and Brian held an uncanny, almost eerie resemblance to each other; it was probably just a matter of time before one of them put two and two together, anyway. Should he just go ahead and tell them now?

His quandary was solved when he heard a familiar voice say behind him, "Yeah, it fucking was – to him AND his son."

The entire group turned around to observe the guests of honor standing approximately 10 feet away. Both were wearing elegant Armani suits, Justin's made of a light gray color that accentuated his pale features and blue eyes exquisitely, and Brian's dark brown one highlighting his bronze skin tone and hazel eyes. They watched as Justin reached to take Brian's hand and squeeze it in some sort of silent message before the brunet continued. "We might as well get the family introductions out of the way now." He walked up, hand in hand with Justin, to stand a few feet away from his father.

As everyone stood there silently, wondering exactly what was going on, Brian answered their unspoken questions as he said, "Everybody – you're already met the great Fintan O'Connor, Senator Extraordinaire and the next Governor wannabe. Oh, and by the way, he's also _Daddy Dearest_, too. And you know who this is, also," Brian continued nonchalantly as he pointed over to Tony, speaking as if he were introducing his next ad campaign. "The poor schmuck who has had to put up with him for the past ten years."

"Brian," Justin admonished him softly in embarrassment; he had hoped after the past few days that his fiancé had come to a better acceptance of Fin being his father, but clearly they still had some work to do. "What are you _doing_?"

Lindsey gaped at her friend's unorthodox introduction as the rest of the group huddled around the four men staring in shock. Now that Brian had divulged precisely who this man was – his _father_ – it was obvious that he wasn't kidding. The two of them could have passed as twins if not for the age difference – same build, same chiseled features, same nose, and the same angular face. The resemblance was unbelievable as the friends glanced first at Brian, then at his father.

"My God!" Debbie squealed loudly. "Your _father_? No shit? How?"

"Well, he and my mother got a little chummy one night and…."

"Brian!" Justin chided him more loudly this time. "Give it a break." He turned to the others to explain on behalf of his partner; after all, he was mainly responsible for this somewhat awkward predicament in the first place. "After Joan Kinney died, I was helping to clean out the house along with Michael." He glanced over at Brian's best friend, who appeared to be as shocked by this revelation as everyone else. "And I found a shoebox up in her bedroom closet with a piece of paper at the very bottom indicating she had adopted a child at the same time that Brian was born. Well, I had it checked out by a private detective to determine that it was legitimate and to verify it DID mean what I thought it meant. The detective confirmed that it did, and found Brian's maternal grandparents for me. They're coming tonight, too, by the way," he divulged.

His voice softened somewhat as he said, "I found out from them that Brian's mother had been killed in a hit-and-run accident about 10 years ago, and the father," he nodded his head over toward Fin, "didn't even know Brian's mother was pregnant when she left town. It wasn't until recently that he found out about Brian."

"Oh, my God!" Jennifer exclaimed in stunned disbelief. No _wonder_ they looked so much alike – there was obviously no reason for a DNA test to determine paternity – it was as clear as the two almost identical faces staring back at her; it was like looking at two bookends. "This is incredible," she said, glancing over at her son, who twisted his mouth in agreement. It had certainly been a roller coaster since the first day he had found out about the possible adoption, and it didn't seem to be totally resolving itself even now. "You're Brian's _father_?" She turned to stare somewhat aggravatingly at Fin, a little perturbed over the man not being forthcoming about his actual reason for wanting to find Brian the other day. It all made a lot more sense now.

Fin looked at her in apology. "I know - I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I wasn't trying to be deceptive the other day when I overheard you talking about Brian and Justin's wedding. I really DID need to speak with my son. I just didn't feel it was my place to reveal the actual reason why at the time. I hope you understand."

Jennifer pondered that explanation as the others soaked up all the other information flying back and forth about this mysterious pair that had suddenly placed themselves square into the rehearsal dinner. She could understand the need to walk on eggshells at times around Brian; for all his bluster and bravado, she knew enough by now to know that events that happened in his life affected him much more deeply than most other knew. She had seen how devastated he was, for example, when Justin had been bashed and then hurt in the bombing. And she had learned enough from her son to know that Brian had not had a happy childhood growing up by any means. It had taken Brian so long just to open up to Justin, the man he trusted more than anyone, about his past life; now as she stared back at the amazingly lifelike image of her son's fiancé, she found herself feeling sorry for him more than anything.

"I understand," she said at last, smiling softly as she looked over at her son, who nodded at her in gratitude. She could tell this was awkward enough for all of them without her being difficult as well. "I'm _glad _you're here to celebrate with us. Will you be at the wedding, too?" she asked, not sure if that was a touchy subject or not.

Tony squeezed Fin's hand in support as the older man answered, "Yes...I hope so, anyway." He looked over at his son, unsure by Brian's rather surly attitude tonight if he wanted to renege on his invitation he had extended previously.

"I invited you, didn't I?" Brian growled. "It's your call if you want to be there or not."

Brian didn't quite realize what he had said until he glanced over at Justin and noticed an odd look on his face_. What the fuck_? He cringed inside as he suddenly realized what was wrong - that was the same type of statement he had said to Justin a few years ago when he was agonizing over whether to stay with him or go with that _fiddler_ who had almost stolen him away from him for good. Didn't Justin realize now, though, that he would never want him to leave ever again? Surely he didn't doubt his deep love for him now - not after everything they had been through. He hurriedly placed his arm firmly around the slender shoulders and pulled the blond close to him, murmuring, "Justin..."

The others in the room didn't understand what was going on, but they knew enough to know that something had happened; Brian's rather haughty, devil-may-care attitude when he had first walked into the room to discover his father and partner there had been instantly replaced with an expression of concern, tenderness and regret as he looked down at his lover.

Justin shook his head slightly as Brian squeezed his shoulders and pulled him even closer to place a kiss on his forehead. "It's okay, Brian," he whispered to his partner. "Just a little feeling of déjà vu." He smiled up at the other man in reassurance; they had long gotten past that rather painful part of their past and Justin knew that. It just hurt for a brief second; he never wanted to experience the heartbreak that he had felt back then, that BOTH of them had felt. He was confident that they never would; now he just had to convince this rather vulnerable man of that. "I'm fine - really," he murmured, nuzzling the brunet's neck briefly before Brian leaned down so they could kiss.

As they finally broke apart, Justin noticed everyone else peering at them curiously. Deciding it was time to dispense with the awkwardness that had abruptly invaded what should have been a festive occasion, he told everyone, "I'm ready to check out the buffet over there. Anyone coming with me?"

"I'm game," Tony volunteered, smiling at his counterpart; he was grateful for Justin's attempt to break the tension in the room.

As Tony prepared to join him to check out the side wall containing several long tables holding the food items for their dinner, Justin leaned to whisper in Brian's ear, "Play nice, Mr. Kinney." Brian glared at him in a look of _I can take care of myself_ before Justin rolled his eyes and nodded for Tony to follow him. "Daphne? Mom?" Justin said, hoping that if some of the others joined him and Tony, maybe it might force father and son to try and communicate with each other a little more; although, at the moment, the lack of communication appeared to be more of the one-sided variety...To his relief, both women nodded as they and Ted followed him and Tony over to the buffet tables, leaving Brian with his father, Michael and Debbie.

Carl had enough sense to go with them, no doubt realizing that Brian's father was about to be subjected to an intense grilling by the man's best friend and his own girlfriend - gay Pittsburgh's female version of Perry Mason. As Carl followed the others over to the buffet tables, he found himself feeling sorry for the man...Well, if he could get past what was about to happen to him _here_, Carl figured he could certainly defend himself sufficiently against what was no doubt going to be intense scrutiny during his upcoming campaign...

Fin almost felt like a fish out of water once Tony has "deserted" him; he knew Tony was deliberately leaving him with Brian in hopes they'd be forced to engage in conversation, but he still felt quite awkward, especially when he turned to find himself staring into the steely, hazel-eyes of his son, along with the intense orbs of the same, flamboyant red-haired woman he had noticed in the diner the other day. The third person, a dark-haired man that had spoken to him earlier, peered back at him with an almost hostile, suspicious look on his face. He thought he had never felt so uncomfortable in his life, even when he was announcing that he was gay recently at the news conference.

"I remember seeing you," the red-headed woman told him somewhat curtly, as his attention was drawn back to the present. "When you and your partner were at the diner the other day."

Fin nodded, somewhat relieved to be speaking about a relatively safe subject for a change - at least he _hoped_ so. "Yeah," he verified to her. "I saw you there, talking to Mrs. Taylor."

She nodded back at him, eyeing him intently. "Well, you're certainly the spitting image of Mr. High and Mighty here," she wisecracked, looking over at Brian, who made a face at her. "I have no doubt that you're his father, all right, except you probably have better manners than he does. I'm Debbie Novotny, by the way - and this little shit next to me is my son, Michael Novotny, Brian's best friend."

"Maw!" Michael whined in protest. "Please!" Sometimes he thought his mother still thought of him as a 12-year-old instead of a grown adult.

Fin watched this exchange with curiosity as the barbs flew back and forth between mother and son. He looked over at his _own_ son, who actually had curled his lips under in amusement at the sarcastic interplay, as if he heard this sort of banter every day. Perhaps he did.

Fin eyed Debbie and Michael intently, trying to figure out their role in Brian's life. If Michael _was_ Brian's best friend, he hoped he hadn't gotten off on the wrong track with the man's mother. He kind of _liked_ this woman, though; something told him she didn't mince words, sort of like a certain blond he knew and loved, and he found that refreshing in light of the bullshit he normally had to listen to inside senate chambers…..

"It's nice to meet both of you," he told them politely with a slight nod as he held his hand out to shake hers, and then Michael's. He noticed that Debbie smiled back at him somewhat, while her son maintained more of a suspicious expression on his face as he took his hand briefly. He supposed he couldn't really blame him, though; if his was as close to Brian as Debbie had indicated, he would be a little suspicious of _his _motives, too.

Michael glanced over at Brian, a little perturbed that he had been left in the dark by both Justin and his best friend. How could Brian have waited until now for him to find this out? Weren't they best friends? He couldn't believe he hadn't said anything to him since he had found out. If it had been HIM in that position, he would have raced over to his friend's house the second he had found out – why hadn't he trusted him with this incredible information?

He could tell by looking at both men that they weren't that comfortable with each other – the tenseness was almost palpable. He was amazed, however, that this well-known person was Brian's real father. Shit – he had never considered the possibility that Brian had been adopted, although he would have always wished that for him – Jack Kinney had probably been one of the most manipulative, cold-hearted, fucked-up pricks he had ever had the displeasure of knowing. He resolved later to talk to Brian privately to determine exactly how he felt about this unbelievable turn of events in his life.

"Michael – let's go check out the buffet tables," Debbie told him, taking hold of his arm; she somehow sensed that these two men needed time alone to sort through what was no doubt a myriad of feelings at the moment.

"But….."

"Michael Novotny, _now_," she sternly told him, leaving no room for discussion. Michael let out a soft huff of disagreement before reluctantly turning to follow his mother over to the other side of the room, leaving father and son alone all of a sudden and both unsure of what to say to each other.

* * *

Plates piled fairly high with a bounty of food, Tony followed Justin over to their designated table, noting with interest that Brian had apparently instructed whoever had planned the dinner to include him and Fin with the guests of honor.

"I'm surprised he did this," Tony said, not able to stop glancing over at his partner who was standing near his son at the other side of the room. He could readily tell by Fin's rather rigid stance that he was extremely ill at ease at the moment; it was not surprising, though, considering how he had been so nervous about tonight.

"What?" Justin asked him as he placed his own plate down on the table next to his name that was engraved on an elegant, linen place card trimmed in gold.

Tony followed suit, laying his own plate down a few spaces from Justin's. "I'm surprised that Brian would want me and Fin sitting at his table tonight. Hell, I'm surprised he wanted us here at _all_, frankly."

Justin's gaze wandered over to his partner's as he smiled slightly in understanding. "Well, to be honest, he wasn't a hundred percent sold on the idea," he admitted. "I had to do a little persuading of my own before he decided to do it."

Tony nodded as he stood by his seat, unable to sit down and enjoy his meal without knowing how his partner was doing. "That makes a little more sense." He looked over at Fin, who continued to stand there tensely with his hands clasped behind his back. That was a classic pose for his partner when he was anxious about something – either that, or he would presently be stuffing his face with a bag of his favorite chocolate-chip cookies at home. "You think it's safe to leave them alone? Neither one of them look too happy at the moment."

Justin smirked. "Well, something tells me they can BOTH look after themselves, but at the same time they don't look too relaxed with each other, do they?"

Tony sighed. "No, they don't." He turned now to glance at Justin to say, "I was hoping after Brian invited Fin to the wedding, and then here to the rehearsal, that he was warming to the idea of having Fin as his father. Was I wrong?"

Justin placed his hands on the back of his chair. Tony was right – he could tell Brian was uncomfortable being alone with his father, but he still felt it was necessary to allow them time to come to terms with their newly-found relationship. Until both of them could get to know each other better, they would remain virtual strangers to each other. He wasn't expecting an instant father-son bond – he knew that would take time – but they had to start _somewhere_.

"No, Tony, I don't think you were wrong. I think it's just going to take time." He continued to eye his partner, observing his hands were lightly resting on his hips as he stared back at his father, neither one speaking currently. He sighed. "Brian doesn't trust people easily. It took him a long time just to tell me what his childhood was really like, and he doesn't make new friends very quickly, either. He has a small group of friends he has known for a long time that he feels at ease with, and he can talk a damned good game in front of clients when he needs to pitch a new ad campaign to them. But to really have a 'decent' relationship with a family member? Except for Gus, that's totally foreign to him – even his own nephew accused him – wrongly, I assure you – of _molestation_! The boy's lies were discovered before any legal action was taken, but between his sister and his so-called 'parents,' Brian hasn't exactly had a good example to respect or admire, much less love."

Tony gaped at Justin, stunned from this revelation. "Holy shit – his own _nephew_? No WONDER he's suspicious of any overtures from Fin to be a real father to him! I knew it would take time, too...but there's been no one to show him what being a part of a real family means?

"Well, I guess it depends on your definition of _family_. If you mean a person related to him by blood or family ties, no, he's never really had anyone in his family to show him the love and respect he's always deserved, except Gus, of course," Justin said, smiling at the thought of the little, brown-haired tyke that is always so full of life and mischief. "Gus loves him unconditionally and thinks he's the greatest dad on the planet, and Brian loves him back just as deeply. If by family you mean someone who loves him despite his shortcomings, cares about him, and wants him to be happy, Brian has a LOT of family." Justin's voice softened as he added, "But still, there's nothing quite like having your own father to be there and support you." He let out a soft sigh of emptiness that did not go unnoticed by the other man.

"That sounded like you were talking from experience," Tony observed astutely. As Justin glanced up a little in surprise, Tony added, smiling a little, "I'm an attorney, remember? I get paid to read between the lines."

Justin nodded. He felt a kinship with this man, a bond forged through their shared love for two very similar men, but he really didn't know Tony that well. Not sure how much to divulge about his own personal life, he finally responded, "I haven't spoken to my father in several years – ever since he found out I was gay and wanted me to stay in the closet. Well, not unless you count the conversation we had a couple of years ago when his store was picketed because of Proposition 14 and I wound up in jail."

Tony's eyes flew up at that statement. "In _jail_? That's unbelievable."

Justin huffed. "Yeah, well, you don't know my father." He brushed one hand through his hair somewhat uncomfortably. "Let's just forget it right now. The _important_ thing is trying to get Fin and Brian to at least stay _civil_ to each other." He eyed the two men again, noticing that at least now they had walked over to the bar that had been set up and were sitting on a couple of stools, talking a little. That was a start, at least.

"I'd _love _to be a fly on the wall right now – a barfly, anyway," Tony said, chuckling a little at his joke as he followed Justin's train of sight and noticed the two men had finally moved over to the bar. "At least they seemed to be talking now," he observed. "I think that's a good sign, don't you? No fisticuffs, either."

Justin twisted his lips in an amused expression. "Yeah, I think so too, but maybe we'd better reserve judgement for a few minutes longer until they've gotten a few more shots of Beam in them. In the meantime, our food's getting cold. What do you say we eat and let our partners duke it out for a while on their _own_? Figuratively speaking, I mean." He scrunched up his face. "I hope that's the case, anyway."

Tony nodded as he pulled his chair out. "I second that motion, Mr. Taylor. Food first, refereeing second. This looks much too good to waste."

Justin grinned as he, too, pulled his chair out and sat down. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

_A/N: TBC - sorry to end it there but it's already up to 9,000 words! Will continue ASAP...thanks as always for reading and reviewing!_


	24. Rehearsal for Real Life

"Beam," two almost identical male voices demanded at the same time. Brian and his father looked at each other, surprised, as they both waited at the bar for their respective drinks.

"This is a nice place," Fin observed as he looked around. Inside he was mentally cursing himself for making such an inane, lame comment, but now that he and his son were relatively alone, he couldn't quite figure out how to conduct a meaningful conversation with him. After all, how do you start out such a discourse with a son you didn't even know existed until a few weeks ago? And his partner was no help; despite his promise to stick by him this evening, the two co-conspirators otherwise known as Tony and Justin both seemed to have conveniently disappeared right when he could have used the support.

Actually, he had to admit that he understood the reason why perfectly; Tony and Justin were both trying to tell him and his son that they needed to work through their problems privately. That didn't mean that he didn't wish he had Tony by his side, though. His normally glib voice felt like it was made out of cotton at the moment. He silently ruminated on how easy it usually was for him to give advice or an opinion on political matters; he never had any problem whatsoever assertively voicing his thoughts on those types of subjects. Now, though, in matters of the _heart_, he found himself strangely tongue-tied and uncomfortable as hell.

Gulping down a large shot of the amber liquid to strengthen his resolve, he placed the glass back down on the counter and with a nod indicated he wanted a second. He pulled at his shirt collar, silently swearing that Tony had made good on his pledge earlier and had tied his tie so tight he had tried to strangle him after all. Perhaps that would have been preferable to trying to engage his son in a civil conversation…..

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to gather his thoughts, he at last turned to stare into the eyes of his son, who had remained silent for the past several seconds. "This is pretty awkward, isn't it?" he finally, simply admitted to Brian softly.

Brian sighed; the man was right – it WAS damned awkward. If he had been standing here talking advertising campaigns with a virtual stranger, he wouldn't have had any problems at all providing the other person with advice or suggestions. Right now, though, he was desperately missing an effective operating manual for handling small talk with a father he didn't even know existed before. And one that was so well-known to boot. "Yeah…I suppose it is," he agreed at last, twisting his lips wryly. He gulped down the last of his Beam and, like his father, placed it down on the counter and nodded at the bartender for a second round as he waited for his father to reply.

_Well, that was a start at least_, Fin thought as Brian admitted he felt the same way. Emboldened just a little by that incremental step, he added, "Thank you for inviting Tony and me to this dinner tonight. It means a lot to me, Brian."

Brian averted his eyes, unaccustomed to anyone in his family actually being appreciative of anything he did for them; normally, it was just the opposite – they seemed to delight in telling him constantly what he had done wrong, ignoring him altogether, or hitting him up for either a favor or money – or both. He shrugged his shoulders. "It's no big deal. Actually, it was Justin's idea to invite the two of you."

Fin shook his head slightly. _One step forward, two steps back….._ "Well, you still had to agree to it, and I appreciate it. Tony and I BOTH do. I'm glad we can be here with you and Justin tonight."

"Why, _Senator_?" was the somewhat cynical reply. "Tell me – I'm really curious…Why does it matter to you? It is so you can ease your guilty conscience about not being around to raise me, or are you trying to show Cassinelli that you can be the happy little homo partner to him?"

Fin sighed as he leaned against the bar and downed another shot of his drink. He counted off a few seconds silently to himself in an attempt to avoid the looming aggravation he felt from entering his voice as he said quietly, "First of all, Brian, do you think you could actually call me _Fin_ instead of Senator? I'm not exactly expecting _'Dad'_, but _Senator_ sounds so formal. And second of all, I was hoping by now you'd realize that I want to be here because I'd like to get to know you better. It's not to put on a show for anyone, including Tony. In fact, right now it would probably be better career wise if I laid low for a while, rather than risk showing up at some big function where the press might be camping out and find me."

Fin nervously rubbed his hand through his hair before continuing. "Besides Tony, I don't really know _any _of these people here except you and Justin, so I don't know who can be trusted not to go running to the press about our relationship. I'm hoping that doesn't happen – I took a lot of precautions to get here undetected, and I certainly don't want to make your life difficult by getting you caught in the middle of my ongoing media circus over my announcement the other day. But I was willing to come here tonight and take the chance because it's important to me to be a part of your life now. Can't you simply accept that as the truth?"

Brian leaned back against the bar and silently gazed out onto the reception area, recognizing so many of his and Justin's friends that had come to regard BOTH of them equally as part of their inner circle; Justin had managed over the years to cement himself into the others' lives and hearts just as he had done initially. His fiancé seemed to have a talent for doing that. He _also_ seemed to excel at forcing Brian to confront issues and emotions that perhaps he would rather not face; this appeared to be one of those times. He knew how badly Justin wanted him to bond with his father; after all, his partner's discovery of his adoption certificate and subsequent research was what had begun this process in the first place.

Was he willing, though, to put his feelings – and his love – on the line for the chance to truly have a father that cared about him? On the other hand, what would he have to lose? He had already had one father who was an absolute horrid, abusive and cruel prick; _no one_ could be any worse than Jack Kinney had been, and he had to admit, Fin O'Connor actually seemed to be a decent guy.

At last, he turned sideways to face his father, whose face reminded him so much of his own. He was so unused to speaking from his heart – at least to everyone else except Justin – that it took enormous courage on his part to do so now. "I…..I'm willing to give it a try," he told his father a little warily, still not totally convinced Fin's motives were purely altruistic. "But don't expect me to nominate you for a _Father of the Year_ award yet."

Fin smirked slightly, relieved that at least the door had been opened slightly. "Fair enough," he told his son. "But the name's still Fin," he said softly as a prompt.

Brian scratched the nape of his neck nervously and stared at this relative stranger who had brought him into the world, for good or bad. His voice barely above a whisper, he finally nodded in agreement. "Fin."

His father's eyes seemed to lighten somehow at Brian's concession as his twisted his lips slightly into a soft smile. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly getting really hungry. Want to go check out the buffet before it's all gone?"

Brian nodded, relieved to be discussing something less serious for a change as he placed his now-empty shot glass down on the counter and waited for the other man to do the same. "Well, I wouldn't hold out much hope for a very good selection since Justin's already been over there. For someone so thin, he can put away a fucking shitload of food."

Fin grinned. "Well, that's one more thing that he and Tony have in common, then. Ready?"

Brian thought, _why not? _To Fin's relief, he nodded in agreement as he began to follow his father over to the buffet tables.

The two men's tentative and somewhat clumsy interaction was being closely watched by their two partners, who were seated next to each other at the main wedding party table. "What do you think?" Justin asked his dining companion as he observed Brian and Fin leaving the bar area to walk over toward the buffet.

"Well, I actually saw their lips moving in between drinks, and they haven't killed each other yet."

Justin grinned. "Yeah….that's somewhat encouraging, I think. Do you suppose it's okay, then, to scope out the dessert tables? My friend, Emmett, who's our wedding planner, promised me some desserts to 'die for,' at least in his words. I'd like to see if they live up to his boast."

Tony eyes lit up at the thought of something sweet and chocolate as he stood up. "Well, you've certainly got MY attention, then," he said, smiling. Looking over at Fin leading Brian toward the main buffet tables, he added, "But I wouldn't turn my back on those two just in case, though."

Justin nodded. "Sounds like a wise course of action to me." He started to lead the other man toward the desserts when he heard a familiar voice and froze in place.

"Just a minute, Mr. Taylor," a somewhat perturbed female spoke from Justin's left. "I have a bone to pick with you, Buster."

Justin winced as he turned to face Daphne with a sheepish look on his face. "I kind of had a feeling you might," he admitted. He turned briefly to Tony to say, "Maybe you'd better start without me, Tony – this may take a while. But save me some of the cheesecake, okay?" he pleaded before he allowed a determined, petite brunet to pull him toward a corner of the room where it was relatively private.

* * *

_Same Time – Outside the Banquet Center_

"No, Honey, I think it's THAT one over there."

Sean sighed; they had been circling the massive, crowded and darkened parking lot for five minutes now, trying to figure out just where Brian and Justin's rehearsal dinner was being held. Both of them were already quite nervous over the prospect of meeting many of their grandson's friends and part of Justin's family, but most of all they were apprehensive over seeing Fintan O'Connor again. It wasn't that they blamed Fin for what had happened to Lydia so many years ago or even that they felt he had somehow abandoned their daughter in perhaps her greatest time of need. After all, Fin hadn't even known their daughter was pregnant at the time, and he had disappeared before anyone had had the chance to tell him.

Maybe it was just the possibility of opening up old wounds, and reliving the painful past. Perhaps it was the age-old "if only" regrets that always seemed to surface during times like these. At any rate, they were still looking forward to moving beyond any discomfort where their grandson's father was concerned and hopefully becoming an important part of both Brian's and Gus' lives.

"I don't know, Kathy – I don't see any signs anywhere. I _knew_ we should have just driven down earlier today before it got dark. We're already running fifteen minutes late. I HATE arriving after everything's started. Everybody always turns and stares at you like you have three heads when you come in. This isn't a good way to make a good first impression on everybody."

Kathy reached over and patted her husband's lower arm soothingly as she smiled tenderly. "It'll be okay. You're just nervous about meeting everybody, just like me. After the first few minutes, they'll all go back to what they were doing and not even pay us any mind then."

Sean let out a pensive breath. "I hope so. I mean, I want to meet all of Brian's friends and see him and Justin again, but I'd rather not be the center of attention, if you know what I mean."

Kathy gazed at the man she loved as much now as she did the first time she first laid eyes on him so very long ago. To her, the man she was looking at hadn't changed at all from the man she had fallen in love with. Oh, he looked older naturally, but what he had inside hadn't changed. "It's going to all work out, Sean – I know it. You'll see."

Sean twisted his lips in affection for this staunchly-supportive woman. "As long as you're with me, Sweetheart, I believe that." He smiled at her briefly before turning his attention back to the maze of a parking lot that was confronting them. "Well, we'll try it," he decided, slowing the car down to make a right turn into another part of the parking lot. He sighed in relief as he finally was able to spot a small, rectangular sign announcing they were at the right spot of the massive center. "Thank God – any more of this sight-seeing and I was afraid we'd have to call out the sled dogs for help."

Kathy laughed softly. "Wrong season, Honey. But looks like we won't have to worry about it now." She was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Do you thing he's here already?"

Sean didn't really have to ask who she meant but did anyway. "Fin, you mean?" At her wife's affirmative nod, he said, "Probably. We know he and his partner were both invited. If he's _smart_, he'd better be, because if he didn't and I was OUR grandson, I'd just write the man off."

"This can't be easy for him, either, Sean. I mean, he didn't know about Brian either, until Justin told him. You know how much of a shock it was to us at the time. Just imagine if you had been Brian's father – the one who had been involved with our daughter and had a son all this time he never knew about. That has to be a major adjustment for him, especially with him in the limelight so much now."

Sean slowed the car down to enter a nearby parking space before stopping it and turning the engine off. The couple sat in the relative darkness for a few seconds in silence before Sean answered, "I suppose you're right, Kathy. But I heard enough about our grandson's childhood to know it couldn't have been a happy one. I think it's high time Brian's the recipient of some _good_ times for a change."

As his wife unlatched her seatbelt and reached down to pick up her purse, she looked over at Sean and nodded. "I can't argue with that. But I've got a good feeling about this, Honey. Justin went to a lot of trouble to find us and Brian's father. I think that young man has excellent instincts and is very much in love with our grandson. If he thought enough of Brian's father to convince Brian to invite Fin and his partner to their dinner tonight, that must mean he _also _feels there's a good chance the two of them can work through their awkwardness and actually forge a decent relationship."

Sean followed his wife's actions by unhooking his own seatbelt. Just before he reached to open the door, he told his wife quietly, "I hope so, Kathy. I sure hope so."

* * *

Inside the banquet center, the din of conversation, clinking dishware, and softly-playing music could be heard as the dinner portion of the evening continued. The initial, stunned shock over the appearance of Brian's father and his partner seemed to have died down somewhat, at least for those friends and acquaintances who didn't know the entire story of Brian's less-than-stellar childhood at the hands of his horrible, adoptive parents. The remaining focal point of interest that remained – Brian's well-known politician father – was still closely huddled with his son near the buffet table. Both men had plates in hand as they helped themselves to an entrée and some of the side dishes set up alongside the far wall.

Although they were the center of dozens of curious, inquisitive glances from those in attendance, by some unspoken agreement, no one approached them directly to ask questions. That didn't mean, however, that their unorthodox relationship wouldn't go unnoticed or unquestioned for the entire evening.

From their position at the Guests of Honor table, Debbie and Jennifer couldn't help eyeing the two men standing approximately 25 feet away. While Justin and Tony were at the dessert tables, and Michael & Ben were talking over old times with Lindsey at the bar, the two women found themselves unexpectedly alone for the moment.

Jennifer shook her head as she stared at the two, almost identical 'bookends.' "Who would have ever thought?" she murmured. "Brian adopted; it's really incredible when you think about it. I just can't believe I didn't notice the similarities the other day when they stopped in the diner."

Debbie snorted softly. "Well, if I had seen the man in there the other day, he wouldn't have left without getting a major grilling from me about it. That man has 'Brian Kinney' written all over him; you sure wouldn't need a DNA test to determine whose father THAT man is." She watched the body language between the two closely. "You can tell they're not exactly comfortable with the idea of being father and son yet, though."

Jennifer nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too. But you know? I'm _glad _Brian's father didn't turn out to be Jack Kinney; he deserves someone so much better than THAT man."

"I don't think you know the half of it," Debbie told her as she continued to observe them. "From what Michael told me, the man was abusive to Brian constantly, both physically as well as mentally. That takes a large toll on ANY child, and it doesn't just stop when they reach adulthood, either. That emotional baggage carries through to ALL their relationships. It's no wonder Brian couldn't let himself get emotionally involved with anyone else for so long." She smiled as her gaze turned toward the two blonds currently perusing the dessert table. "But that changed when a certain someone came along, thank God." She grinned. "Your son is really something, Jennifer, you know that?" she softly stated. "Sunshine managed to not only worm his way into Brian's heart, but he found him a new father to boot."

Jennifer smiled tenderly as she looked over at her son. "Yes, he is – he's become quite a man. I'm so proud of him, Debbie. He's been through so much at his age and he's managed to persevere through all of it."

Debbie nodded. "Yeah….and now I think it's time for one of _Brian_'_s_ wishes to come true." She silently prayed that the man she had come to love as another son would find the same love for his father that she felt for both him, Michael and Justin.

* * *

"You could have told me, you know," Daphne muttered to her friend as they sat on a settee nestled in a more secluded portion of the banquet room. Before Justin had a chance to open his mouth to explain, she quickly growled, "I can't believe you kept this from me, Justin! You found out about this a MONTH ago and didn't tell me?" Her eyes flashed with a mixture of anger as well as hurt that her best friend had withheld from her something so incredible.

"Daphne, I'm sorry, I really am," Justin finally managed to say contritely. "I wanted to – you don't know how fucking much I _did_! But you were in the middle of pre-med! I _know_ how little sleep you get doing rounds and I didn't want to fuck up your career! Come on, Daphne – you KNOW you would have been the first person I would have told under any other circumstances. Cut me a break, okay?" he pleaded with her.

She studied the somewhat worried eyes of her friend and shook her head; this man never _could_ make her stay mad at him for long. "You are so in the doghouse, Taylor," she told him in mock anger. "If you EVER hold back on me with something _this_ astounding again, you will be in a shit load of trouble, you got it?"

Justin smiled in relief, happy that the friend he depended on and loved so dearly understood his dilemma and forgave him. "I got it, Doc," he kidded as Daphne punched him in his shoulder and he briefly wrestled with her while they both giggled over their antics.

* * *

Sean and Kathy stood, hand in hand, in front of the double doors. They could both hear the sounds of a rather large crowd mingling on the other side, and knew from the rectangular, temporary identification sign posted next to the entrance that they had finally found the right room.

"You ready for this, Honey?" Kathy asked her husband. She had been with him so long by now that she knew he was nervous; she could readily see it in the stance of his shoulders and the soft, rapid breathing she could hear.

She watched as he took in a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah," he nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go say hello to our past AND our future." As she smiled at him and nodded in agreement, Sean gave her hand a squeeze before reaching for the door knob and turning it to pull the door open.

* * *

"Emmett, you have GOT to give me the recipe for this!" Back at their table, Tony closed his eyes in rapture as he savored the last bite of his chocolate forest cheesecake. "This is out of this world!"

Justin grinned at him from his nearby chair; he had returned after talking to Daphne, who had gone in search of the ladies' room. "I thought you might like that particular dessert," he told the other man. "That's my favorite, isn't it, Em?" He smiled over at his friend, who was positively glowing with the accolades being heaped on his cooking acumen.

"Honey, it sure is," he verified, nodding. "I was told if I didn't have that particular dessert on the rehearsal dinner menu, I could just forget showing up at all." He grinned down at his guests as he stood over their shoulders; Emmett was in his element at the moment. All his hard work over the past several weeks was finally coming to fruition, and he was thrilled to see that so far, everything was going smoothly and according to plan. Of course, that had included a few dramatic surprises along the way, most notably the addition of Brian's father and grandparents. But considering everything that _could_ have gone wrong so far, he thought he was doing a pretty spectacular job.

As if right on cue, Emmett glanced up as he noticed an older couple entering the room; they looked both out of place among the mingling, younger crowd as well as slightly uncomfortable, at least if their somewhat rigid stance and slightly lost looks were any indication. "Uh….Justin, Sweetie? Are those two people by chance Brian's grandparents?" he asked his friend, nodding his head in their direction.

Justin swung his attention toward the door and smiled. "Yeah, that's them!" he verified excitedly, standing up with the intention of greeting them. "I'll be right back," he told his friends as he rushed over to the double doors, thrilled that Brian's grandparents had followed through on their promise to join them. He stole a quick glance over at Brian and Fin, who appeared to be finishing up filling their dinner plates, before he walked up to greet Sean and Kathy.

Kathy grabbed onto her husband's lower arm as she smiled broadly in recognition at the man approaching them. She was relieved to finally find someone she knew. "Justin! How great to see you again!" She accepted the proffered hand from the blond as Justin smiled warmly back at her.

"Kathy – it's good to see you again, too. You, too, Sean," he said warmly, grasping the older man's hand in a firm handshake. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"We're glad you – and Brian – invited us," Sean told him. He studied the noisy, packed room intently, noticing the array of tables, small dancing area, open bar, and several food tables interspersed throughout. "This is quite an event," he observed. "There must be over a hundred people here tonight."

Justin nodded. "Yeah….129 to be exact. With Brian being in advertising, he meets a lot of contacts through his company. Most of the people in attendance tonight are either his more important business clients or employees, along with some of the wedding party, of course."

Sean nodded. "Well, we're glad you made room for us. Where're Brian and Gus?" He looked around the room, trying to spot them, but couldn't see either one of them; the room was so crowded and the lighting dimmed, it made it hard to make out people clearly.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that Gus came down with a slight tummy ache, so Mel decided to stay home with him at Britin just to be on the safe side," he told the slightly disappointed couple. "But don't worry – it's just a temporary thing – he should be fine by this weekend in plenty of time for the wedding. Brian's here, though; he's over at the buffet tables with his father," Justin told them, sweeping his hand toward the corner of the room where several hot food stations were set up. "Let me show you where you'll be sitting first, and then we can let Brian and Fin know you're here."

Sean and Kathy could just make out two men standing near the end of one table, plates piled with food; the couple nodded at Justin as they allowed themselves to be threaded through the maze of tables toward the Guest of Honor seats. As they approached the table, the couple recognized Lindsey, Gus' other mother from the other day, but the others were not known to them. There were two men presently sitting there, along with an older, red-haired lady wearing a flamboyant, sparkling rainbow-hued, mid-length cocktail dress and a large, rhinestone pin on the side of her head. An elegant-looking blonde woman sat next to the redhead as they engaged each other in conversation.

"Everybody?" Justin said as they reached the table and Sean and Kathy stood nervously behind two empty chairs. Everyone looked up from their respective places at the table to peer inquisitively at the older couple; Emmett had since moved away from the table earlier to track down the banquet manager responsible for the liquor supplies as soon as someone had complained to him about them running low on Grey Goose.

"I'd like you to meet Sean and Kathy Blackwell, Brian's maternal grandparents. Sean, Kathy, this is Ben Bruckner and Michael Novotny, two good friends of ours, Michael's mother, Debbie Novotny, and my mother, Jennifer Taylor."

Sean and Kathy smiled and nodded at the small group of friends clustered at the table, but they both chose to acknowledge Jennifer first. "So you're Justin's mother," Kathy said, reaching her hand out to grasp Jennifer's." The older woman glanced over at Justin, who was smiling at them warmly. "That's quite a young man you have there, Mrs. Taylor."

"Please, call me Jennifer," was the reply as she, too, glanced over at her son and smiled affectionately at him. "And, yes, he is." Mother and son shared a tender moment between themselves that communicated so much without saying anything at all before Jennifer turned her attention back to the new visitors. "I'm so glad to meet you both. We just found out tonight about you and his father. It's amazing, but I think it's wonderful."

The older couple appeared relieved by Justin's mother's hospitality; on the drive over, they had discussed what everyone's reaction to them would be. It was great to know that their appearance at this event was apparently going to be a cordial one. It was important to both of them that they make a good impression among their grandson's friends. "Thank you," Sean told her, nodding as he smiled gratefully. "We're so happy to have found Brian and Gus. We met them the other day, and us three men went fishing together. We all had a a great time."

Sean and Kathy heard a soft snort come from the red-haired woman seated next to Jennifer as she said, "Brian? _Fishing_? Now THAT I would have paid to see! Did he even now which end of the fishing pole the worm went on? I cannot even imagine Brian _touching_ a worm, let alone FISHING with one!"

Sean had to chuckle a little at that statement. "Well, Gus and I did most of the fishing," he conceded. "Brian worked mostly on his tan."

Everyone at the table laughed at that statement, realizing THAT was much more like the Brian Kinney they knew and _usually _loved. "That sounds a lot more like it," Debbie replied, smiling. "How about I show you two to the buffet tables before it's all gone?"

"That's okay, Deb," Justin rushed in to say before Debbie could stand up; as much as he loved Debbie, he thought at the moment that too much of her might just tend to overwhelm Brian's grandparents. "I told them I'd escort them over there, since I'm done with dessert." He turned to glance over at Tony, who had been intently studying Brian's grandparents ever since they had appeared at the table. He had remained oddly silent, however. Justin wasn't sure if it was due to mere curiosity or perhaps awkwardness on his part over his role in Fin's life. It wasn't _Tony's_ fault, though, that Fin had moved on with his life and finally found his soul mate. Justin resolved to immediately rectify the situation; besides, he figured it would be a good test for how Sean and Kathy would react to Fin in a few moments. In fact, as he glanced over at the buffet table, he could see father and son slowly approaching them. It appeared his intention to introduce Fin to Brian's grandparents was about to take place at the table rather than buffet station.

"Sean, Kathy – I'd like to introduce you to Tony Cassinelli, Fin's partner," Justin told the older couple, as Tony stood up to acknowledge them. He noticed Tony's shy smile as he extended his hand out to them, anxiously waiting for their response to him.

Justin's faith in Brian's grandparents was bolstered as Sean reached out to firmly grasp the younger man's hand. "Tony, it's a pleasure to meet you," he told the other man softly, smiling. "Justin's told us a lot about you and Fin." The man studied the blond's features, so different from Lydia's darker hair and more olive complexion. It was definitely a departure from the days when Fin was so enamored of their daughter, but that was a long time ago, in a far different time and place. They had had to move on, and so had Fin. At least now, though, they had the privilege of getting to know Lydia's child and grandchild.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," Tony replied, smiling back in return as he shook Sean's hand and then Kathy's. "I'm glad I'm getting the chance to meet you. Fin's anxious to see you again."

"We are, too," Kathy told the other man. "It's been a long time since we last saw him. It's funny – if Justin hadn't persisted in finding out about us, we would have never known about Brian or Gus. Now we can't imagine them not being in their lives."

Justin's eyes misted over a little at the heartfelt sentiment; he knew Brian and Fin still had a lot of issues to work through, but he was becoming more and more hopeful that everything would eventually work out positively. His thoughts regarding his fiancé and his father made him glance over at them as they slowly continued to approach their table. Justin noticed that several people were stopping them on their way back to speak with them. He assumed it just wasn't morbid curiosity on everyone's part, however; he knew enough by now to realize that Fin's influence in politics, along with the distinct possibility that he may one day be Governor, made him an important and crucial person to know when it came to obtaining favors. Being able to say you were personally familiar with the new Governor would no doubt make everyone sit up and take notice.

Finally, the two men arrived at the Guests of Honor table. Sean and Kathy both smiled at Brian, who returned the expression with one of his own. "Brian!" Kathy cried as she placed both of her hands on Brian's shoulders and pulled him down to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi, Kathy," Brian replied softly, the warmth and affection for this woman obvious in his tone of voice. "I'm glad you and Sean could make it." He placed his full dinner plate down on the nearby table as he grasped his grandfather's hand. "Sean, thanks for coming," he told his grandfather.

"Wouldn't have missed it," the older man confirmed, smiling. "Thanks for including us."

From his vantage point sitting at the table, Tony's glance immediately honed in on his partner, who was standing directly behind Brian looking noticeably nervous at the thought of being reunited with the parents of the schoolgirl he had impregnated in high school. He knew that Fin was anxious over what their reaction to him – and his disclosure of being gay – would be. It seems they were about to find out as he locked eyes with Fin and gave him an encouraging nod.

Fin's eyes warmed at the warm, loving look Tony was giving him; it gave him the strength to persevere through an encounter that might prove to be quite awkward. Resolving to get it over with, however, he walked up to Brian's side to greet the parents of his long-lost love. He recognized them easily – they had aged, of course, and their hair was now more gray than auburn, but their faces were the same. He took a shallow, calming breath before speaking. "Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell," he said softly, extending his free hand as he, too, placed his dinner plate down on the table.

He felt himself breaking out into a cold sweat as his hand hung out there as if suspended in air; it felt like forever as he waited for their reaction to him, although his head knew in actuality it was only a few seconds before Sean reached to clasp his hand in his.

"Fin….It's been a long time," the older man said softly, pumping the hand a few times before releasing it. Sean studied the other man intently for a few seconds, noticing that in person the man was even _more _like Brian than his picture had shown him to be. "You remember Kathy?"

Fin peered down at the petite, slender woman leaning into her husband's side as she held his other hand. Fin had always remembered how close the two had seemed, back when he had been seeing their daughter; Kathy, in particular, had always treated him with respect and kindness. He had always guessed that they wouldn't have minded if he and Lydia had eventually wound up together, but of course, it wasn't meant to be. Not only was Lydia tragically dead, but he couldn't imagine his life now without Tony in it. He smiled at her. "Yes, of course. How are you, Mrs. Blackwell?"

The diminutive woman smiled back at him to his relief. "I'm fine, Fin…..but please, call us Kathy and Sean. We're all well past you being one of Lydia's classmates now."

Fin nodded as he smiled back at her. "I guess old habits die hard. Kathy, then….I'm glad to see both of you are well." Fin turned once more to gaze back at Tony. It was time to make amends to the man who had supported him for so long now. "You've both met my partner, Tony?" he asked, smiling back at the blond, who positively beamed at the acknowledgement.

Fin thought he noticed a slight twinge of pain pass both Sean and Kathy's faces as they nodded in response to his question. Their expressions, however, did not appear to be hostile in any way, merely a reflection of their longing to see their long-lost daughter once more – a wish they both knew wasn't possible. Sean nodded. "Yes – we've already met."

A pregnant pause permeated the air for a few seconds before Justin volunteered to Brian, "If you and Fin would like to sit down and eat, I'll take Kathy and Sean over to the buffet station to get their dinner."

Brian flashed a tender smile of gratitude at his fiancé as he nodded. Brian was still not totally comfortable with his father, but he also knew that he had to deal with their relationship somehow. He knew that any amicable bond would have to start with the smallest of steps. As Justin stood up and walked by him, Brian reached out and grasped his hand to stop him briefly; he pulled Justin over gently to give him a brief kiss on the lips and whisper in his ear, "Thanks, Sunshine." He tried to express to Justin in that one, small phrase his gratitude over not only locating his real family for him, but for so much more – his love, his support, his courage, his passion, and his fiancé's unbridled loyalty to him and hope for his happiness. He had long lost count of how many times he considered how blessed and lucky he was to have been the man waiting for this beautiful, lost-looking waif standing under that streetlamp so long ago as Justin smiled at him and walked away with Kathy and Sean.

"After you," Brian said, sweeping his hand out to indicate that his father should sit to Tony's left. Fin nodded as he picked up his plate and walked the few steps over to his partner's side and sat down. His heart warmed at the touch of Tony's hand reaching over and clutching his as he turned to smile at his partner. He felt someone taking a seat next to him, and noticed with surprise that it was his son. He was unable to hide the slight smile that tempted to break out into a full-fledged grin as Tony squeezed his hand under the table in acknowledgement.

"I see you wasted no time finishing _your_ meal," Fin kidded his partner; not only had Tony polished off his main entrée in record time, apparently, he had also finished whatever desserts he had chosen to eat. All that remained near him was a half-drunk glass of red wine.

"What meal?" Tony asked innocently. "What makes you think I've _already_ eaten? Do you see any plates in front of me?"

Fin snorted. "Give it up, Cassinelli. I know you too well…not only that, Brian and I both saw you and Justin at both the buffet and dessert tables, so don't even try to pull that one on ME, Counselor."

Tony grinned. "Guilty as charged," he admitted. "But what a way to go! The prime rib was tender as hell, and the desserts! Black forest cheesecake! Talk about outstanding! Oh, that reminds me – I have to track Emmett down for the recipe!" He stood up as he released Fin's hand. "I'll be right back!" he promised as he rushed out into the maelstrom of the room to locate the wedding planner.

Not sure what to do with Tony unceremoniously gone, Fin picked up his fork and took a stab of the prime rib. Tony was right – it WAS very tender as well as flavorful. He chewed his steak for several seconds, trying hard to appear fascinated with his meal, when he heard his son speak. "How's the meal?

Fin looked at his son and swallowed the piece of meat before replying, "Really good."

Brian nodded as he picked up his wine glass and took a small sip. "It fucking _should_," he muttered. "This damn dinner's costing me a mint. Of course, if I hadn't been marrying Justin, I probably could have saved a substantial price on the dinner expense alone. Where the man puts the shit after he eats it is beyond me."

Fin wanted to tease his son about what sort of "extracurricular activities" he and Justin engage in to keep his fiancé so slender, but he thought better of it; even though things seemed to be going better between him and his son, he still didn't quite feel comfortable enough kidding with him. He was still trying to determine when Brian was being serious or facetious.

"Tony's the same way," he reported instead. "He must have a dizzyingly-high metabolism to scarf down what HE does and not gain any weight." He glanced over to locate Justin with Sean and Kathy before adding, "I think we have that in common with our partners. Maybe it's a blond type thing," he ventured to say lightly, hoping Brian didn't get offended. To his relief, though, he apparently found that amusing, as he watched his son's lips curl in amusement.

"Maybe," Brian said, his eyes lighting on his partner at the buffet table. He noticed that his fiancé was apparently going back for seconds of something at the dinner station. "I think he was a kangaroo in a previous life; a food pouch is the only possible explanation for how he can hoard so much food and not gain anything."

Fin nodded as he studied the contents of Brian's dinner plate. He noticed his son did not have any bread or starchy foods on his plate. "No corn or scalloped potatoes?"

Brian shook his head, taking a peek at what his father's plate looked like, also. He noticed with surprise that their plates almost looked identical; Brian had prime rib, asparagus, and green beans, while Fin's had prime rib, asparagus, and caramelized onions. "No carbs?" he asked.

Fin shook his head. "No – I don't like to eat any carbs after 6:00," he told his son.

Brian smiled. "Seven o'clock's the deadline for me," he told his father, evoking a slightly shocked, but amused response from the other man. "Drives Justin fucking crazy, but he just ignores me and eats whatever he wants anyway."

"You _never_ indulge in carbs after dinner?" Fin asked a little dubiously.

Brian tilted his head, admitting, "Not usually – not unless Justin talks me into it. It amazing what he can talk me into when he's staring at me with an ice cream spoon in his hand and wearing nothing but a shit-eating grin on his face."

"Brian!" Jennifer gently admonished him from her nearby chair as she heard them talking.

"Sorry, Mother Taylor," Brian told her gently, smiling. "I forgot we had a mixed audience."

Jennifer shook her head in exasperation; even now, Brian never failed to regale listeners with his and Justin's sexcapades at Britin. She blushed at the thought of what Brian and her son engage in on a regular basis; by now she shouldn't be surprised, but it still made her blush just to think of the heated passion these two men shared even after all this time.

Just then, Justin returned along with Sean and Kathy, his plate once more restocked with a little more of the prime rib and two more pieces of dessert – one more of the forest cheesecake, and a square of a caramel latte brownie.

"Justin….." Brian rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're going to explode any time now…."

"You'll just have to work it out of me, then, Old Man," he huskily whispered to his partner as he sat down and reached over to squeeze Brian's thigh.

"Sunshine, even I don't have enough time to work it out of you before our wedding Saturday," he declared, reaching over playfully to grab the back of Justin's head and yank on his hair to pull his head back.

"Hey!" Justin growled in mock indignation. "You're interfering with my windpipe here."

"No chance of that," Brian snarked. "You weren't one of those sword-swallowing circus men in a previous life, were you? You could certainly fit one in that neck."

There were several chuckles at the table as Justin replied, "Ha, ha…..Anyone would have to do calisthenics to keep up with YOU," he declared.

"Well, you got THAT right, Sunshine," Brian agreed, smiling smugly as Justin rolled his eyes.

The two men's bantering was met with amusement by Fin; it sounded so much like the same type of "conversations" he constantly had with his _own_ sparring partner. He looked over at Tony, who had just returned to his seat; he grinned back at him, obviously thinking the exact same thing.

Kathy and Sean were seated directly to Tony's other side as they took their seats with plates in hand. Tony acknowledged their return with a friendly nod as they sat down.

Kathy nodded at her husband in some sort of silent prodding as Sean asked Tony, "So, how long have you and Fin known each other?"

Tony replied easily enough; he didn't have anything to hide. "About ten years now," he told them. "I'm an attorney – Fin and I met in court one day," he explained.

Sean absorbed that information. "And if you don't mind me asking, you've known you've been gay for a long time?"

Tony nodded. "Ever since I was a teenager," he told them.

Sean continued. "And what about Fin? How long has HE known?"

Tony wasn't exactly comfortable talking on his partner's behalf regarding that; he didn't think Fin wanted to hide the information, but then again, these were the parents of his first love. He wasn't sure if he needed to tread lightly with them or not. "I'm not sure," he finally answered; in a way, it was the truth; he really DIDN'T quite know when Fin had determined he was gay. "That's something you'd have to ask him," he gently told them.

Sean nodded as Kathy watched silently from the other side. "I…just guess I find it a little weird how he and our daughter were involved before and now all of a sudden, we find out he's gay."

Tony nodded as he glanced over at his partner, who was conversing with Justin's mother. "I can understand that, I guess," he admitted truthfully. "Again, Fin would be best to answer that. But I CAN tell you at least from my own perspective that it's not always so cut and dried when you're growing up. Social mores can be very confusing while you're learning who you really are. When Fin and I were growing up, being gay was looked down upon much more than today, even though even now it's not the most acceptable lifestyle. I admire Fin, though," he proudly said, "for coming out in such a public way at his press conference. That took a lot of courage on his part."

Sean studied that comment for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I think so, too," he told the younger man as Kathy nodded in agreement. "It wasn't the most politically astute move in my opinion – most of the state is still very conservative – but it still took a lot of chutzpah to do it. I can't deny that. And when it comes time to vote for the Governor, I'm voting on the issues and who's best to represent my interests, not based on someone's sexual orientation."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Sean," Fin spoke up; he had finished his conversation with Jennifer just quickly enough to overhear part of his partner's conservation with Sean and Kathy. "That means a lot to me," he softly added. He was extremely relieved, too, that apparently neither Sean nor Kathy held any ill will toward him over Lydia's pregnancy and subsequent death. He felt like one more tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders once more as he smiled gratefully at them.

"Well, it's like I told Justin a while back," Sean added. "I don't profess to truly understand your lifestyle or decision, Fin, but I respect your right to choose what is right for you. And if this makes you happy – then that's what you need to do. The only thing I ask if that you treat our grandson – and great-grandson – with respect and get to know them better."

"That's all I want, too, Sean and Kathy," Fin told them. "Believe me."

Brian listened intently to the nearby conversation playing out between his father and grandparents. He could hardly believe he was sitting here, two days before his wedding, listening to an actual conversation between his real father and his maternal grandparents. It was less than a month ago that he had no idea they even existed, and now look; the three of them were discussing him like they had known him all his life. And they all seemed to actually fucking _care_ about him…

He turned to stare at Justin as he felt his fiancé's hand reach over to clasp his; Brian's fingers curled around the soft, slender hand as he uncharacteristically felt his eyes welling up slightly with unshed tears. He brought Justin's hand up to his lips to place a kiss on the knuckles as Justin smiled back at him tenderly. The unspoken "I love you's" were resounding loud and clear even though no words were being spoken aloud as Brian gave Justin's hand a small squeeze and brought both hands back down to rest on his upper leg. At that moment, surrounded by so many friends, his life partner, and, yes – his _family_ – he thought he had at last found what he just now realized what he had been so desperately seeking for so long. And it felt good…it felt right.

* * *

_Later in the Evening _

The large crowd that had assembled for the impending celebration of Brian and Justin's wedding had long since dispersed, leaving only the main wedding party and their closest guests remaining.

As the staff personnel scurried around to begin collecting the numerous dishes and silverware from each abandoned table, the small group stood near the double-door entrance, making their last-minute goodbyes to each other.

"Well, this was certainly a night to end all nights!" Debbie exclaimed, as she and Carl waited for Michael and Ben to return from the restroom. She turned to Brian's father and his partner, who were standing nearby. "It was fucking amazing meeting you both," she told the two men. "Senator," she said, turning to face Fin. "Go fucking knock 'em dead. I'll be watching to see how you do."

Fin smiled; there was something refreshingly candid about this woman that he liked. "Thanks – I'll do my best, I promise."

She nodded as she pointed a red-lacquered fingernail at him. "You'd better," she warned him. "I know how persistent and stubborn your son can be – he had to get it somewhere. Time for you to show what you're made of now, too."

"Yes, Ma'am," he dutifully replied as she smiled back at him, satisfied, and turned to leave with Michael, Ben, and Carl. "We'll see you at the wedding," he promised her; it felt good to be able to say that.

Jennifer reached up to place her hands on her son's cheeks. "I'll see you Saturday afternoon, Honey," she told Justin, smiling as he placed a kiss on his cheek. "After tonight, though, I'm not sure what you'll do to top this. Although….getting Brian to agree to finally get married comes close."

"Mom….," Justin protested somewhat as she released her hold on him. "It's not like I had to drag him there, kicking and screaming. He really _does_ want to go through with it…..this time," he added a little sheepishly. He knew, though, that it was the truth – Brian really DID want to get married; he was positive of that now. And by God, the man wasn't going to be allowed to back out of it now…..

She smiled back at him. "I know, Honey – I was just teasing you. I'd best be going – Molly's waiting for me to pick her up at a friend's house. See you in a couple of days."

Justin nodded, smiling affectionately at his mother as she turned to leave. He glanced over at the remaining guests; Daphne and Lindsey had left earlier – Lindsey to drive back to Britin to check on Mel and Gus, and Daphne to go stay with her parents until the wedding. Emmett was still roaming around the banquet room, trying to tie up loose ends. Not counting the few clients of Brian's that were slowly filtering out of the room, that left him, Brian, Fin, Tony, Sean and Kathy.

He walked a few steps over toward the rest of the group, observing Sean helping Kathy don a lightweight sweater she had brought with her to try and ward off some of the evening chill. As Sean noticed his approach, the older man stuck out his hand to shake Justin's and smiled. "Thanks again for inviting Kathy and me, Justin," Sean told him. "We had a really good time, and it was nice to touch base again with Fin."

Justin smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way – I was a little worried about how it might make you feel seeing him again after all this time. So you don't harbor any grudge?"

Sean frowned. "Grudge?" Why?"

"I don't know – maybe because Fin is still around and…Lydia is gone," he answered softly; it was awkward talking about Brian's mother still, even though it had been years since she had been killed. "I imagine it isn't easy seeing him alive and well, and with a gay partner no less."

Kathy grasped Sean's lower arm as he admitted, "Well, I'm glad you told us on the phone before we came. It would have been a big shock otherwise. And like I told Fin – Kathy and I don't really understand his decision over his choice of life partner. But at the same time, we don't blame him for what happened to Lydia; he didn't even know she was pregnant at the time, and he couldn't have prevented her death." His voice softened as he added, "We miss Lydia every day – _every day;_ that won't ever change. But she's not coming back and we're still here. So the next best thing is to be able to have a relationship with Lydia's son and grandson. And for that opportunity, we will be forever grateful to you, Justin."

Justin blushed at the unexpected compliment, mumbling, "No….I just managed to reunite you, that's all. Brian _deserved_ a real family. I'm just glad he got one."

Kathy spoke up now as she said, smiling, "So are we, Justin…..so are we."

* * *

Tony stood a few feet away from father and son, respecting their apparent need for some time alone. He could tell they were still a little uncomfortable and tongue-tied around each other, but he felt the tension and awkwardness was diminishing with each new encounter.

"Well…..I guess we'll say goodnight," Fin said tentatively, not really wanting to leave his son but on the other hand, feeling a sudden need to escape with his partner to somewhere more comfortable and familiar. Right now, all he wanted to do was hold Tony in his arms and be reassured that everything would turn out all right in the end between him and his son.

"Yeah….Justin and I have a lot to do before the wedding," Brian told his father, shifting slightly on his feet as he fidgeted. He still couldn't quite believe that he had a father alive – and apparently concerned about him. It was all so foreign to when his "former" father – Jack Kinney – had been around that he still found himself having a hard time dealing with the reality of it.

"Well….Tony and I will be going, then," Fin added softly. He turned a few steps away toward Tony before turning around to say, "Brian….."

Brian looked over at his father, his eyebrows raised in a silent question. "Yeah?"

"For what's it worth, I wish I had been there."

"Been there?" he repeated as Justin walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah…..you know, with you...growing up."

Brian silently nodded as Fin took Tony's hand and led him out of the room. The two men gave Justin a final nod of farewell as they disappeared through the doorway.

The two partners were finally alone. "You okay?" Justin asked softly, peering up intently into Brian's eyes.

Brian gazed at the spot where his father had just been for a few seconds before lowering his gaze to look at the soft blue eyes of the man he loved deeply. He smiled in reassurance as he let out a breath. "Yeah, Sunshine…I think I'm going to be just fine. Let's go home, okay?"

Justin nodded as the two of them came together for a tight embrace for several seconds. As they finally pulled apart, Justin said, "Yeah…..you have a job to do."

Brian smiled back at him amused. "A _job_?"

"Yeah…..If you don't take me home right now and fuck me senseless, I may not be able to fit into my tux Saturday."

Brian's eyes lit up with revelation. "Ahh…..I see. Well, don't ever let it be said that I let you down. I will be more than happy to help you with your _little problem_."

"I knew I could count on you, Mr. Kinney," Justin remarked with a smile of his own, as, hand in hand, the two slowly walked out of the room together.


	25. Wedding Day Morning

_Britin – Early Morning_

A brilliant preview of the sunny day to come peeked through the sheer curtains of the two, tall, floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom as Justin slowly awakened to a banging, screeching sort of noise outside their home. Frowning at the unidentifiable clatter, he paused for a few seconds to gaze over warmly at his fiancé's sleeping form before dislodging himself as gingerly as he could from Brian's arms and sitting up in bed. Rubbing his eyes and reluctantly rising from his warm cocoon, he rose to grab a pair of sweats nearby that had been haphazardly thrown down on the floor last night when Brian declared they needed one more mind-blowing round of fucking as "happy-go-lucky queers," in his words, before Justin succeeding in attaching "the matrimonial ball and chain to his leg." _Typical romantic bullshit from the man I love_, Justin snickered silently before walking over to the windows and pushing the sheer material aside a little to determine what the cause of the noise had been.

His heart leapt in anticipation and he smiled as he realized it was a truck that had arrived to deliver the wooden laminate segments that would be used to construct a portable dance floor for their reception this afternoon after the wedding was over; several men were unloading the cumbersome pieces, one by one, and rolling them onto a wheeled flatbed dolly for transport to the rather remote location on site.

After scoping out all possible locations at Britin for their festivities, Emmett had persuaded him and Brian to hold an outdoor wedding under the grove of centuries-old maple trees that ringed the beautiful lake running along the rear of their property. At first, Brian had needed a little bit of Justin's own special form of "persuasion" to be convinced of the appeal of such an idea, but he had actually quit bitching about it once he knew how much Justin had his heart set on it. Yeah, the grassy, flat area near the water was over-the-top dreamy, yeah, it was hopelessly quaint and picturesque, and yeah, it was totally, unequivocally romantic, but the sunny, outdoor location of the green meadow with the water backdrop was just perfect in Justin's eyes and to Brian that was all that ultimately mattered.

Justin smiled; it really was happening. Today, he and Brian would finally be married. Today, all of their family and dearest friends would be here to celebrate their union. And perhaps most amazingly of all, Brian's father and grandparents would be here as well. He was so glad that Brian had finally relented and agreed to let them attend. He had promised himself at the outset when he had first discovered his partner's adoption that he would abide by Brian's wishes in the matter of how involved to become with his newly-found-family, but deep down he had always hoped that Brian would open his heart just a little wider, just enough to let these virtual strangers in. Now it seemed his most fervent wish for the man he loved was about to happen, and he couldn't wait. Brian would finally have a family that actually loved and cared about him - at least, in addition to him and Gus, of course.

He turned to smile at the subject of his ruminations, who had burrowed even deeper under the down comforter now that he instinctively knew that Justin wasn't lying next to him. Neither of them had to be awake to realize the other wasn't in their bed; somehow they just _knew_. Normally he would have loved nothing better than to sneak back under the covers and lie in Brian's strong, lean arms once more to wait until he woke up and they could make sweet, gentle love in their bed - he was curiously in the mood for that sort of thing this morning rather than a hard, fast, fuck - or even better, he wouldn't have minded performing a little _undercover_ work of his own to wake Brian up right away. But today was different – there was so much to do, and he knew soon enough, Emmett would be arriving with the rest of the circus to get the Kinney-Taylor nuptials started. It just wouldn't do for the two grooms to hide in their bedroom until the ceremony; today, they needed to be front and center of all the excitement. He _wanted _to be front and center - he didn't want to miss one, single second of anything today...

As he looked down at Brian, so apparently peaceful and worry-free in his slumber, he debated whether to wake his fiancé up. But today, he wanted to experience every moment with his partner by his side. Walking over softly to Brian's side of the bed, he slowly sat down near him and reached over to lightly brush some hair back from the other man's eyes. His fingers trailed down the brunet's cheek and then languidly brushed over the full lower lip that was so talented and familiar to him. He marveled at how even now just the touch, smell, and sight of this man took his breath away. His heart began to beat just a little faster as he watched his lover's hazel eyes slowly flutter open. There was a momentary moment of disorientation before Brian's eyes focused on the beautiful sight peering down at him and he smiled slightly. "What time is it?" he asked sleepily. "And what are you doing out of bed without me, Twat?"

Justin smirked. "You've forgotten what day it is already, Mr. Kinney? I knew I should have withheld sex from you last night – you're already taking me for granted." His fingers left the warm lips and slowly pushed the thick comforter away to reveal the tantalizing, sexy upper body of his partner. As he stopped briefly to indulge in a little body worship with his eyes - wondering once more how he had managed to firmly lasso this magnificent man's heart - he couldn't help continuing his sensuous trek down the middle of Brian's chest with his fingers before his hand settled, palm down, on the brunet's taut stomach. He watched, entranced, as Brian's muscles rippled at his touch and he reveled in the power he held over this man. His heart did a flip-flop as Brian smiled back lazily at him, the love shining unbridled and unmasked by any sense of pretension in his almost chocolate-colored, gold-flecked eyes.

Brian reached his hand up to cup Justin's cheek. "I didn't forget, Sunshine," he confided softly. He couldn't help reaching his hand around Justin's neck to pull the blond down for a deep, penetrating kiss that spoke volumes about the intensity of his feelings and the lack of doubt about marrying this incredible man. "It's the first day of the rest of our lives," he said melodramatically, as they finally broke their kiss and Brian smirked at him, tongue in cheek, "God help us."

Justin smacked his chest as he grinned back at him. "Well, the _Ball and Chain_, as you so affectionately call me, needs your help this morning, so get that hot ass out of bed and in the shower."

Brian groaned; he was afraid of this. Not only had he agreed to marry Justin in a weak moment – at least he was _trying_ to convince himself of that - but now he would be subjected to a myriad of poking, prodding, and questioning all day long by Emmett, the tailors, and guests, not to mention a round of drilling and grilling by Debbie. "Couldn't I just wait up here until it's time for the ceremony?" he asked hopefully, running his hand up Justin's arm as the blond shivered in response. "I'm sure you can handle everything just fine without me. Just whistle when it's time to get married and don't worry, I'll come running to your side, just like Trigger."

Justin snorted as he grabbed Brian's wandering hand and squeezed it before firmly placing it down on the mattress. "No way, fucker, you get that ass out of bed _now_. I'm not enduring a game of 64,000 questions with Emmett and risk you being unhappy about what happens afterward. You're going to suffer right along with me."

Brian sighed, trying to pull the comforter back over his head, but Justin was too fast for him. Laughing, he tugged the cover away from the older man's face and promptly threw the entire piece of bedding on the floor, exposing Brian's glorious, but shivering body as he quickly feasted on the tantalizing sight. "Up," he said to Brian, smirking when he noticed that the man was already _UP_. "Nice try, Kinney," he said a little breathlessly. "But it's not going to work this morning." Brian merely sat there flopped down on the bed like a boneless chicken, lips curled under and staring at him intently in that way that always got him anything until Justin finally knew he was licked. "All right," he acquiesced finally, rolling his eyes. "We'll _both_ take a shower – but NO fucking. Just a shower, got it?"

"Cross my ball," Brian promised, twisting his mouth in amusement. _You're so fucking easy, Taylor_. Rising triumphantly from bed now, he sauntered over to the adjacent bathroom door and turned to wait for his partner, knowing full well that Justin's self-discipline was quickly wilting as he stood there, facing him, in all his glory. "Well, come on, Sunshine – we haven't got all day!" he chided the man. Justin shook his head as he smiled and walked over to his lover. Pausing for several seconds for kiss #2, a few minutes later they were both nude and walking into the glass-enclosed shower together.

Of course, a shower AND a thorough fuck later, they were finally dressed in jeans and casual, long-sleeve t-shirts and ready for breakfast. It would be several hours before they would need to get dressed in their wedding attire. It wouldn't be as glamorous or elegant as the first time they had planned to be wed due to the less formal, outdoor setting this time on the grounds of Britin, but rather, the outfits, while still Armani, would be more casual in nature.

"Well, if it isn't the groom and groom!" Emmett shrieked in glee as the two men walked down the polished wooden spiral staircase and came to stop at the first-floor landing. "I was just about to have the cavalry run up and get you," he declared, as Gus abruptly appeared from behind him and shot down the hallway at them like a cannon.

"Daddy! Jus'n!" he screamed in excitement. "I get to be all dressed up today and ride a horse!" he shouted, raising his arms up as Brian swooped him up into his embrace.

"You sure do, Sonny Boy," he confirmed, smiling at his son as Justin grinned back at the tender portrait of the two. "But you're going to ride in a carriage, not on the horse, remember?" he pointed out. Emmett had arranged for the wedding party to ride from the back of the house to the wedding ceremony in a black, antique carriage powered by a team of six, black stallions. Brian had to bite his tongue to keep his sarcastic feelings spoken aloud regarding the lesbionic connotations of such an idea, but one look at how Justin and his son's eyes had lit up at the suggestion and he couldn't object.

"Yeah!" Gus cried out, his eyes shining in excitement. "I can't wait, Daddy!" he declared, beaming. "Are Grandpa and Grandma riding with us, too?"

Brian nodded his head, glad that his son had taken so quickly to his maternal grandparents; he had found to his own surprise that he was beginning to feel that way as well. "They sure are, along with Grandma Debbie and Grandma Jennifer." He was silent for a few seconds before he looked at Justin and told his son quietly, "And your Grandpa Fin and his friend will be there, too, Gus. Do you remember them?"

Gus frowned slightly as he gave that some thought. "I think so," he said, biting his lip pensively. His attention quickly drawn by a commotion out back, he squirmed in his father's arms. "Put me down, Daddy," he commanded. "I want to go outside."

Brian smiled and complied by gently placing his son back down on the ground; the little boy promptly took off like a rocket back down the hall as they heard Lindsey cautioning him from the kitchen to slow down while she hurried to catch up with him.

"Well, I'd say somebody's definitely all better now," Justin chuckled, smiling at the little boy's energy.

Brian nodded as he watched, amused, while Gus tugged on his mother's hand and urged her toward the rear French doors. "Make sure he doesn't go out there by himself," Brian reminded her. "Hell knows what's going on out there right now." As their wedding had approached, each day had brought a continuum of activity that had increased exponentially; right now, he could hear construction noises and a multitude of voices coming from all sides of the house, inside as well as outside, as a virtual army began the preparations for their ceremony and reception later today.

"Oh, please – you think you have to remind me of _that?_" she chided Brian. "He IS your son, after all," she teased him as mother and son promptly disappeared out the back so Gus could play wedding detective.

"Emmett?" The two men turned around as they heard an attractive, dark-haired man calling for their friend who was standing close by, gripping a clipboard to keep track of the day's activities; the stranger was wearing a badge that said _All-Ready Party Rentals_ on his chest. "The chairs are here; we need to know where to set up them for the ceremony," he said.

Before he could open his mouth to respond, another voice was vying for his attention as well. "Mr. Honeycutt?" a man, of average height but slender and toned with light brown hair and green eyes, appeared from the back of the house with a large vase of long-stemmed sunflowers. "Where do you want these to go?" he inquired, risking a quick glance of approval at Emmett's tall, lean frame before he quickly looked away for fear of being caught.

Emmett sighed. "Excuse me, boys, before either I blow up or your _wedding_ does," he said melodramatically. "Come with me, gentlemen," he told the two boys, stealing a look of mischief over his shoulder and smiling; an expression that told both Brian and Justin that Emmett was going to "blow" alright, but later after the ceremony was over.

Brian shook his head, amused at their friend's nelly-queen antics. "He's certainly in HIS element today," he observed, looking at his fiancé. He noticed Justin had an odd look on his face, sort of a cross between a soft smile and a pensive, analytical look. "What?" he said, raising one eyebrow.

"Nothing," Justin said quickly.

Brian, however, knew that look; it said _I have something on my mind, but I don't especially want you to know_. "Justin…"

Justin shook his head, knowing he never WAS adept at hiding his feelings from this man. He smiled at his fiancé. "I'm just happy that you're allowing Fin and Tony to come to the wedding today, that's all," he said lamely but Brian wasn't quite convinced.

"But?"

"I really do want them here, Brian, really," he assured his fiancé.

Brian stared into the intense, baby-blue, all-of-a-sudden fretful eyes of his lover as he placed his hands on Justin's shoulders and turned him to face him. "Then what, Justin?" Yes, this was both their wedding day, Brian ackowledged, but most of all, he wanted nothing to go wrong for his partner; Brian sincerely wanted to go through with this today - he thinks in a way, he always had, even the first time - but above all else, he knew this ceremony meant the most to Justin. And if something was bothering him about it, he was going to see that it was corrected, no matter WHAT it was, even if it involved barring his father from coming to their wedding. "Justin?"

Justin gazed into Brian's eyes for a few seconds before nodding slightly and taking a breath. "You know with your father, there's always a lot of press hounding him wherever he goes, especially now that's he declared he's running for Governor. I know Fin and Tony said they take precautions to ensure that it doesn't happen, but what if they follow him here somehow anyway and manage to ruin our wedding?" He averted his gaze, embarrassed. All along it had been his most fervent wish that Brian's father and grandparents show up for their wedding, and now he was second-guessing that decision. Was it selfish of him to worry about quite possibly the happiest day of his life being disrupted by their attendance? His wish to make Brian happy and his hope for their wedding day going smoothly warred with him as he bit his lip in indecision.

Brian sighed softly; he had thought of that possibility, too. He just hadn't mentioned it to Justin because he didn't want him to worry, and he knew how much it meant for his partner that Fin and Tony attend. He placed his hand on Justin's chin and forced him to look up at him. "Justin, you just say the word and I'll call my father right now and tell him not to come."

"No!" Justin replied, aghast at the idea of that happening. "No, Brian…..I WANT them here." He added, his voice barely above a whisper, "I just want our ceremony to be something that's unforgettable."

Brian smiled tenderly. "Oh, I think it'll be something unforgettable, no matter what," he submitted dryly.

Justin grinned in spite of his concerns. "That's what I'm afraid of," he admitted. "You _know_ what I mean. It's been a long road for us to get here today. I don't want anything to spoil it, I guess. Is that selfish?"

Brian shook his head firmly, his hand caressing Justin's soft, pale cheek as he responded softly, "No, of course not, Sunshine. I would say that's quite understandable, actually. The question is, though…what are we going to _do_ about it to make sure you don't have to worry? That's supposed to be Honeycutt's job today, not yours. Fuck knows we're paying the guy enough for it." As if on cue, the doorbell rang once more, signaling yet another visitor's arrival. Brian looked at his partner apologetically, and started to go answer the door, but stopped when he heard it already being opened by someone else.

Justin was at a loss as to how to resolve their dilemma as he shook his head. Their solitude was interrupted by Debbie walking back into the hallway from the front of the house, where she and Melanie had been sitting in the parlor, enjoying a brief period of respite before the festivities later as they enjoyed their morning coffee. A muscular, rather stern-looking man who appeared to be in his mid-30's and wearing a crisply-pressed, dark-colored suit with a silver triangle-shaped handkerchief in his pocket followed closely behind her as she walked up to them. "This man needs to speak with you two, Sunshine," she advised, not even blinking an eye as she used her long-standing endearment for the blond, who blushed slightly at the moniker. After all, it was a little hard to explain to strangers, especially, how a grown man continued to be known by such a cutesy nickname, but he knew by now that he would never be able to completely escape from it.

"I'm Justin Taylor," he told the visitor. "And this is Brian Kinney, my fiancé. Are you looking for our wedding planner? He's out back somewhere."

The man shook his head politely as he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a black, leather billfold. He flipped the two sides of the wallet open to reveal a silver-colored badge and a laminated I.D. card. "Actually, I was looking for you, Mr. Kinney," he revealed, looking at Brian. "I wanted to introduce myself. My name's Brad Weston; I'm the owner of Ever-Vigilant Security. My company's services have been engaged by Senator O'Connor to watch over your grounds during your wedding today. I'll have men covering the entire perimeter of your estate, along with the front and back entrances, to ensure no one shows up uninvited. All of my men have proper identification with them at all times and can be recognized by the same silver handkerchief I have in my suit pocket if you need assistance for anything. I just wanted to let you know I've been personally assigned to watch over the area where your ceremony and reception are to take place; I could use someone to point the area out to me, though, if you could spare someone to do that," he inquired professionally.

Justin stood there in awe, overwhelmed by Fin's answer to their prayers. He suddenly felt like a giant weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. Even though he knew that didn't guarantee complete anonymity or total privacy today, at least he could be assured that no one who wasn't invited to their wedding would crash their festivities. He smiled over at Brian in immense relief as the brunet nodded back at him and smiled in return.

Brian shook the other man's hand. "We' re grateful for your assistance today, Mr. Weston." He looked around the main floor of their house, trying to locate someone to help him. He wanted to spend as much time with Justin today as he could for their special day. Thankfully spotting Michael down the hall, coming out of the kitchen, he waved his friend over. "Michael, I have a favor to ask you," he began. "I need you to take Mr. Weston here back to the area where we're having the ceremony and reception so he can check it out. He's been hired as security today. Could you take care of that for us?"

Michael smiled at his friend. "Well, duh, Brian…..best man, remember?" he teased. He looked over at the other man and said, "Sure can…..come with me and I'll show you where it is."

Brian grinned at his friend. "Thanks, Mikey," he said sincerely, grateful that his best friend was here to help and be part of such an important event in his life. They had long ago patched up their differences; in fact, at the moment, he almost found it hard to believe that he was about to engage in an activity - getting married, for fuck's sake - that he would have thought impossible not so long ago, that Michael would have thought impossible, too. Despite Michael's belief before that he and Brian had been slowly drifting apart due to their priorities shifting so radically asunder, he and his best friend were about to share yet another thing in common - being married to the men they loved.

"Thanks, Michael," Justin echoed as the other man nodded and left with the head of the security detail. As the two men found themselves alone once more - at least for the moment - Brian took his fiancé in his arms and folded him into a deep embrace, placing his chin on top of the soft, blond head. "I can't believe my father did that," he told Justin softly.

Justin smiled into Brian's chest. "Neither can I," he admitted. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved." He could feel the older man's head move as he nodded in agreement before Brian released him from his grasp. Looking down into his eyes, the brunet said, "Think we should go see what sort of trouble my son's getting into out back before we scrounge up some breakfast?"

Justin grinned. "That would probably be wise. Em's really good at handling crises, but when it comes to a 6-year-old boy? I'm not sure even _he's_ up to that challenge."

Brian held out his hand to Justin as, hand in hand, they walked down the hallway toward the kitchen to go find the youngest member of their wedding party.

_

* * *

_

__

Same Time – Harrisburg - _Fin's Residence_

"Good. Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll see that you get it. We should be there sometime later this afternoon."

Still wet from his shower and clad only in a dark-blue towel wrapped around his waist, Tony walked up to his partner from behind and wrapped his arms around the lean torso, trying to ascertain from the one-way conversation who Fin was speaking with. He knew the senator had cleared everything from his schedule today so he could devote all day to his son's wedding. It sounded, though, like he was going to be meeting someone at the event later.

As Fin hung up his cell phone, he turned in his partner's embrace to smile at the sight in front of him. Tony always looked sexy as hell to him, but dressed at the moment in only a low-slung, thick terry towel and coming from the shower in his still wet-and-fuckable look always made him look even _more_ irresistible.

"Don't tell me," Tony said, rubbing his hands up and down Fin's back. "Your other boyfriend is a high-falutin' waiter and you're already making plans for some secret fucking rendezvous with him at your son's wedding, aren't you?"

Fin smiled down at him as he placed a quick kiss on Tony's nose. "I always said you were an excellent attorney due to your bloodhound capabilities," he teased his partner. "I knew I should have called the guy while you were still in the shower." He leaned down and nipped at the blond's ear as he whispered, "Maybe you'd be up for three-way later. I've been told his balls are realy spicy."

"Nah," Tony replied. "You know how chili always makes my stomach growl." As Fin stared down at him in bewilderment, Tony grinned. "Never mind…..bad joke. I can tell you're too wired up right now to follow my weird sense of humor." He somewhat reluctantly broke from their embrace to look for his brush on the nearby dresser. Picking it up to run the instrument through his thick, damp hair, he asked, "So who were you talking to, Senator? I thought you promised me you wouldn't mix business with pleasure today."

"I did," Fin assured him as he walked over to the closet to retrieve a dress shirt and put it on; the gray blue tint of the shirt flattered his eye color exquisitely and was a dramatic contrast to the charcoal-colored linen pants he wore. "That was Brad Weston with Ever-Vigilant Security, letting me know he and his men were in place."

Tony stopped brushing his hair to look at Fin in the mirror's reflection. "In place? In place where?"

Fin buttoned up one sleeve before glancing up into Tony's reflection and saying, "At Britin. I didn't want anything to ruin Brian and Justin's wedding ceremony today, and you know how persistent the press can be."

Tony placed the brush down and turned to face his partner. "You arranged for Brad's company to handle security for the wedding? Did Brian know that?"

"No," Fin admitted as he reached into the closet to retrieve a dark maroon silk shirt that belonged to his partner. "I didn't tell him. Actually, it just occurred to me yesterday after we left the rehearsal dinner. I got to thinking how much rigmarole you and I always have to go through to avoid the press and I figured today would be no exception. So I called Brad up yesterday while I was in my office and asked him to personally handle Brian and Justin's wedding. I don't want some uninvited, party-crashing member of the press interfering with my son's ceremony. I think that's the least I owe him."

Fin walked up to Tony with the shirt the blond would be wearing and asked, "You don't think he's going to be pissed about that, do you? I thought it would be a good idea. You know I've used Brad several times before and he's very discrete. I told him to let Brian know who he was and what he and his men were doing there, but he's very good at just melting into the background unless he's really needed. You don't think Brian or Justin will mind, do you?" Fin hadn't really considered that possibility, but now that he and his son were finally on more receptive terms, the last thing he wanted to do was annoy or upset his son.

Tony twisted his mouth tenderly as he turned around and held out one arm to permit Fin to slide the shirt onto him. "No, I don't think so," he reassured him. "I actually think he'll be grateful for it. If he had any inkling of how annoying and persistent the press can be when they smell a story, he'd be willing to take any help he could get." He held out his other arm and turned around as Fin completed helping him put his shirt on before he twisted around to face his partner.

As Fin reached over and began buttoning up his partner's shirt, Tony smiled at the man. Fin somehow over the years had developed the habit of helping him get dressed in the mornings, even though he was more than capable of accomplishing that feat himself. His partner had done it so many times before, he could probably button up his shirt blindfolded. It was just one of his partner's quirks that he had grown to tolerate and even love over the years. "I think that was one of the most thoughtful things you've ever done, Senator," Tony whispered tenderly.

Fin rolled his lips under playfully. "How thoughtful?" he asked innocently, but his twinkling eyes gave him away.

Tony grinned. "Oh, I'd say pretty thoughtful. As in you-deserve-a-big-kiss thoughtful. But not quite thoughtful enough to make us both get undressed and you fuck me senseless. At least not until later," he promised before Fin could mockingly protest.

"Can't we come to some sort of plea bargain, Counselor?"

Tony grinned. "What did you have in mind, Senator? If you get too impertinent with me, I'll just have to deny you bail for the rest of your life."

"And that's bad?" Fin asked, a serious look on his face as if he really didn't know; Tony wasn't the _only_ one that could play the poker face when need be.

"Not as long as we're locked up together," Tony said, just before he reached up to pull his partner's head down for a deep kiss.

_

* * *

_

Two Hours Before the Ceremony – Britin

"Justin?" Jennifer called out to her son from the second floor landing; she had found Brian outside on the back patio – apparently merely trying to stay out of the way of all the hubbub currently taking place – and he had advised her that her son had went into the house to retrieve something a little earlier, but he didn't know where he had gone. She had already checked the kitchen and parlor downstairs – his two favorite rooms on the first floor – as well as his studio in the attic but had bypassed his bedroom for some reason on her way up. This seemed the last, reasonable spot where she might find him as she called his name out again.

"Mom?" she heard him say. "I'm in the bedroom," he verified to her as she walked down the hallway toward the end room that held the master bedroom.

As she appeared in the doorway, she observed her only son, looking so grown up and classically dressed in his casually-elegant, Armani suit. The one-button, deep navy jacket with matching tux pants and open-necked, gray and silver-pinstriped shirt reflected the silver flecks in Justin's eyes perfectly. As Justin looked up from his place on the bed and smiled at her, she noticed it wasn't the most radiant of his smiles but it was sincere. At that moment, she thought her son had never looked more handsome than he did right now. "Hi, Mom," he said warmly.

"Hey, Honey," she replied, walking over to sit down next to her son on the large, king-sized bed and leaning over to give her son a quick hug. "You look so handsome," she told him, smiling proudly as her eyes filled with sentimental tears as her son gazed back at her. When did her son grow up to be such a stunning, beautiful man? Of course, he had always been beautiful on the inside as well as the outside; she just couldn't believe how quickly he had grown up into an adult, seemingly right before her eyes.

"Thanks, Mom," Justin responded a little bashfully, reaching over to squeeze her hand and trying hard to appear carefree. He was so happy now that he was finally about to marry the man he had loved for so long and wanted to spend the rest of his life with; so why all of a sudden was he feeling empty inside for some reason? Did he dare acknowledge to himself the reason why?

"Justin?" he heard his mother say; glancing back over to her face, which was full of concern as well as puzzlement, he silently shook his head in an attempt to assure her that everything was all right. "You look a little upset, Sweetheart; what is it?"

"I'm fine, Mom," he tried to placate her. It was silly, really, and not even worth his time…..

"Justin," she said, more sternly this time. "Tell me." The tone in her voice, clearly interpreted as an _I'm your mother – don't bullshit me _message, left no room for compromise. He never had been able to withhold information for long from his mother, even when he first admitted to her that he was gay.

He sighed, sobering. "I know it's ridiculous, Mom. But I guess with Brian's father coming to the wedding today, it just kind of hit me while I was getting dressed. If things had turned out differently….."

"_Your_ father would have been here today, too," she answered for him.

Justin took a deep breath before exhaling it and silently nodding, not able suddenly to answer due to the large lump that had formed in his throat. Why was he letting this bother him? His father was an uncaring, homophobic asshole; quite the opposite of Fin, actually. Was that why it was bothering him so much? It wasn't as if he didn't know what his father was like – after all, he'd had several years now to get used to the idea of him no longer being in his life. And he had Brian and Gus as his family now, along with his mother and Molly. So why did it make him upset that his uncaring father wasn't here?

"I know, Honey," his mom said sadly. "I wish things had been different, too. Your father is the one who will regret what he's doing for the rest of his life, though; you have nothing to be ashamed of or feel bad about! You know that, right?" She glanced down at their clasped hands, noticing how identical their skin tones were. She couldn't help noticing the irony, however; her left hand holding her son's was now bare of any adornment, her decision to finally take off her wedding ring having been made just recently, while her son's left hand, resting on his hip, was about to be fitted with a new token of Brian's love for him.

"What are you thinking, Mom?" she heard her son ask as she lifted her gaze to stare into the blue eyes that were so like her own.

She smiled tenderly at him. "I was just thinking how weird life is sometimes," she admitted. "Here I'm just getting used to living the rest of my life without having your father's wedding ring on my hand when you're about to get a new one from Brian." She gave her son's hand another short squeeze as she added, "I know your bond with Brian will be a lot stronger than mine was with your father, though, and maybe for the first time, I'm actually happy with my life. That's what you need to keep in mind, too, Honey, what you're gaining; not what you're missing. You have so many friends and family that love, respect and admire you for who you are and not what they _think_ you should be. That's what you need to remember today, okay?"

Justin let out a cleansing breath. His mother was absolutely right; he had so much to be happy and thankful for; that was what he needed to focus on today, not the _could have beens_. "Okay," he agreed, smiling back at his mother gratefully.

She nodded, satisfied that her son was going to be just fine, before she rose to leave. "I'm sure you and Brian need some time alone to get ready for the wedding," she said. "I saw him out on the back patio a while ago; I think he was just trying not to get run over before the ceremony starts later."

Justin grinned. "I'm sure you're right," he agreed. "For somebody's who so good at creating extravaganzas for Kinnetik, he's not too fond of all the hoopla going on with the wedding today. If it had been up to Brian, I think he would have been just as content with going to a Justice of the Peace instead."

Jennifer nodded, grinning. "But then he wouldn't have lived that one down for a while, would he?"

"You know," Justin said, as he stood to join her. "I really wouldn't have cared – honestly. I just wanted to marry him – any way he preferred. But Debbie – now _that_ woman would have made his life a living hell if we'd gotten married that way," he joked, chuckling, before he sobered somewhat. "And since I found out about Brian's father, and he wound up being able to attend today, I'm glad we didn't get married that way after all."

She nodded her understanding before turning to go. "Oh, I almost forgot," she told her son, before reaching in her blazer pocket to pull out a small, white, square-shaped box. "I know it's much too sentimental for Brian's taste, I'm sure," she said somewhat apologetically with a soft smile, "but I thought you might consider wearing these today at your ceremony. Do gay weddings follow that 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' tradition, anyway? I think this could qualify under both blue and old."

Justin laughed. "I don't know, Mom, this is my first gay wedding, remember?" he teased. "I've never heard that question asked before. But I think it's a nice tradition, for what it's worth."

She nodded as she handed him the box. Opening it up, he found a pair of silver-colored cufflinks with a square, sapphire-colored stone in each; the classic, clean lines were tasteful and elegant but not overly gaudy. He looked up at his mother, puzzled.

"They belonged to your grandfather Cravens, my father," she told him. "You were born the month after he died," she told him. "I always was so sorry that he didn't get to meet you – you would have been his first grandchild and he was planning on spoiling you rotten." Her voice softened as she added, "He died of cancer in the Hospice right after I found out from my test that I was going to have a son. He made me promise to keep these for the day you got married. He hoped that you might consider wearing them." She noticed that the gray color of his suit couldn't have been more custom made to offset the sparkling, light-blue color of the jewelry, if her son was interested in commemorating his grandfather in that way. The ultimate decision, however, would be up to him.

Justin's eyes welled with tears for so many things that could have been but weren't; still, he was such a lucky man – for having found Brian, who loved him unequivocally for who he was, and for this woman who had supported and loved him, also, throughout life's ups and down, and accepted him for the man he had become, not the man his father had wanted him to be. "Thank you," he whispered to her as he reached over to take her slender shoulders in his hands and gently kiss her on the cheek. "I'd be honored to wear them."

She smiled in delight at his decision as she reached over and took one of the cufflinks to help attach it to his shirt; after the second one was placed on the sleeve, she stood back a few feet to admire the way the cufflinks perfectly matched her son's eyes and highlighted the light-gray pin-striping of the shirt. It was almost as if they had been made for this day; maybe in a way, they had been. "You look beautiful, Honey," she couldn't help commenting, not caring whether it made her sound like a silly, sentimental mother or not. It was the truth; as Justin beamed back at her now, she had never seen him look happier.

"Mom," Justin gently protested, blushing at the sappy comment. He really didn't mind, though – in his new attire and his grandfather's antique cufflinks, he _did_ feel special. _Brian_ made him feel special. And now they were going to finally be married, and damn it, they were going to be happy, regardless of his father. He didn't need the man after all.

"I love you, Mom," he whispered, his heart bursting with love for this woman who stood staring back at him with tears of pride and happiness in her eyes.

"I love you too, Justin," she replied, nodding with a smile before turning to head back down the hallway.

Justin turned to study himself quietly in the mirror, watching the sapphire cufflinks gleaming under the overhead light. He took a few seconds to straighten his suit jacket, satisfied that everything was in place, before, with a smile, he left to go track down the man he was about to spend the rest of his life with.

* * *

_Harrisburg - Two Hours before the Wedding_

Fin glanced up and whistled as Tony entered the living room downstairs; even now, after a decade together, the man took his breath away. "Tony….."

The blond grinned at his lover's reaction, feeling the warmth creeping through his body at the almost ravaging ogle. "You like it?" he asked coyly, knowing full well by the man's admiring stare he most definitely approved. Tony was wearing the maroon red satin dress shirt, the top two buttons opened just enough to expose a tantalizing peek of the pale, smooth skin; a delicate, silver chain hung from his neck, emphasizing the muscled chest underneath. His outfit was completed with a dark gray pair of linen pants and a suit jacket that was one shade lighter than the pants and made his sea-blue eyes even more captivating.

Tony smirked at his partner, evoking a rolling of the eyes from Fin. "We'd better get going right away," Fin told the other man.

"Okay," Tony agreed, as he walked over to the nearby coffee table to scoop up his cell phone and their car keys. "But there's no need to hurry – we should still get there with at least 30 minutes to spare."

"I realize that," Fin told him, as he reached over to try and grab Tony's hand to start pulling him toward the door. "But if we don't leave now, I won't be responsible for us being delayed."

"Delayed? Why?" Tony asked innocently, his eyes twinkling as he deliberately walked away from his partner long enough to walk into the kitchen and open the refrigerator. He leaned over to reach the crisper drawer below where they always stored their bottled water; he made sure that his ass was facing the other man as he ever-so-slowly leaned over to retrieve a couple of plastic bottles." You cock tease," he heard Fin say from right behind him, as he felt the other man's hands snake around his waist and abruptly pull him back up. "Are you happy to see me, Senator, or is that a wad of hanging chads in your pocket?"

Tony let out a small squeak as Fin somewhat roughly twisted him around and pulled him back upright to face him. "You are SO fucked," Tony laughed in triumph.

Fin shook his head in exasperation. "No, Counselor, that's the problem – I'm not. But if we don't leave now, you _will_ be." As Fin twisted his mouth in resignation, he couldn't help pulling the other man flush against his own body before kissing him soundly for several seconds.

Coming up for air eventually, face flushed and lips thoroughly bruised and swollen by the other man's ardor, Tony asked somewhat breathlessly in a mock daze, "Where were we going again?"

"Come on," Fin growled, before he changed his mind and he promptly tore the man's meticulous-affixed clothing off and fucked him senseless right on the kitchen table, although it wouldn't be the first – or the last – time. "Move it, Counselor."

Tony grinned, as Fin grasped his upper arms from behind and pushed him toward the garage door from behind.

"Okay, but I get to drive," Tony told him, as they neared the SUV.

Fin snorted. "Don't you always?" he asked.

"You mean inside or outside the house?" Tony quipped as Fin glared at him. As the blond opened the driver's door, he looked behind the seat. "So who am I today? Austin Powers? Robin Hood? Superman?" Where's my disguise?" he asked Fin as the Senator opened the passenger door and got in, shutting the door.

"There is none today," Fin told him mysteriously.

Tony frowned. "No disguise? No fake beard or wig? No dorky hat? Why?"

"Because I'm tired of hiding, Tony. We shouldn't HAVE to hide. What's wrong with who we _are_? Or do you miss the itchy caps and tight-fitting wig heads? You never _did_ get to dress up as Cher, though, come to think of it – although as much as I hate to say it, with your height you'd be better off pretending to be Sony Bono. Of course, he's also dead right now, so that might give it away…."

"Fin…..back up," Tony insisted, not sure if he had just heard what he had thought he heard. "Did you just say you wanted to nix the disguises?"

Fin smiled over at his puzzled partner as he reached over to take the blond's hand to squeeze it briefly before dropping it. "That's exactly what I said, partner. I'm tired of running. I want us to be US for a change, don't you?"

Tony placed his hands on the wheel, digesting this astounding information as he turned to gaze into Fin's steel-gray eyes. "You really have to ask that? That's what I've been saying all along! Of _course_ that's what I want, what I've _always_ wanted. But, Fin, what about your _son_? If we just drive out of here like any other resident, we'll be tailed all the way to West Virginia, and straight to his driveway. You can't afford to have security watching his place 24/7, and besides, as soon as your son leaves for work in the morning – at least after he gets back from his honeymoon – they'll hound him until they find out just what his connection to you is."

He sighed, agitated at the irony of just when Fin decided to be upfront about their relationship and come out from under their disguises – literally – he picks the one time when Tony would see a need to keep doing it. He couldn't believe his ears when he heard himself saying, "I say we wait until after the wedding, and then do it. The last thing I want – and you, too, I'm sure – is to ruin Brian and Justin's wedding." He shook his head, finding it hard to believe but knowing it had to be done. "So, Senator, which disguise will it be today? Private eye? Doctor? If you want to be a professor, I could scrounge up a white sailor's hat to go with my maroon shirt and could go as Gilligan."

Fin had to laugh at that last comment. "Wrong hair color," he commented, grinning at his goofy partner. "You're wasted, you know that?" he said affectionately; his heart threatened to burst at that moment for this man who always amazed him with his perception and thoughtfulness, as well as his willingness to do whatever was needed to watch over his partner. "I'm sorry, Tony," he whispered, his eyes soft as he gazed at the man he loved. "I really did want to get rid of these fucking disguises."

"I know," Tony said, reaching over to lightly caress his partner's cheek. "And I love you for that. But we'll have to deal with tacky sideburns and itchy heads for at least one more day, for your son and Justin."

Fin nodded as he twisted his lips affectionately at the other man. "Okay…I'll go get the _Secret Service Agent_ costumes out of the mud room closet. Be right back," he told Tony, as he opened the door to get out. Before he walked away, he winked at his partner to advise him, "But I still think you might have made a kick-ass Cher."

* * *

_TBC - Next Chapter: Wedding and Reception!_


	26. One Man's Reality One Man's Dream

_A/N: Sorry, guys, got a little too wordy for the wedding in this chapter - will definitely be in the next chapter, though! Thanks as always for reading and reviewing - it is greatly appreciated!:)_

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_

_Wedding Day – 4:00 p.m. - Britin_

As the crisply-dressed, white-gloved parking valet opened the passenger door and held it out for her, Debbie scooped up the flowing hem of her blue-sequined, mid-length dress and swung her legs around to disembark. She scowled, however, as she noticed a dark-suited, neatly-groomed man standing vigil next to the front entrance like a Americanized, casual version of an English beefeater guard.

"Not again," she muttered to Carl, who opened his own door and stepped out. As he waited for her to take his hand and escort her up to the entrance, she disentangled her arm from his when they reached the door and stood there defiantly, her hands on her hips.

"What do you want to see _this_ time?" Debbie demanded, her eyes flashing in annoyance at the uniformed man blocking her way at the front door. "My AARP card? My Medicare insurance card? My membership card in PFLAG? Or would you rather have my Wal Mart frequent shopper card?"

"Debbie….." Carl shook his head at her as he grasped her sleeve in an attempt to calm her down. "He's only doing his job, Honey."

She huffed out an indignant breath; they had already been required to show their invitation and driver's licenses to a security guard at the front gate. Now they were being called upon to repeat the same procedure here at the door. "The last time I looked this was a free country; when did the Gestapo take over?" she growled at the man standing rigidly in front of her.

"Ma'am," Brad Weston told her politely. "I'm just trying to ensure that no uninvited guests try to enter the premises, that's all. I just need to see your invitation and some form of photo I.D."

"Or what? You'll frisk me? Well if it gives you some sort of perverse pleasure, have at it."

"Debbie, please!" Carl beseeched her somewhat wearily. "Just give him the invitation and your driver's license, will you?" Secretly, he couldn't quite figure out why Britin had been locked down tighter than Fort Knox, but for whatever reason, they were having to go through extremely tight security. He had already been required to provide proof that he was, indeed, a police detective before being allowed to proceed inside with the revolver he always kept at the ready under his suit jacket. But he _also_ knew they might be standing out here all evening if Debbie didn't cooperate.

She sighed in exasperation, but nevertheless did as Carl requested; unsnapping her evening purse and reaching inside to retrieve her driver's license and engraved, black and white invitation with her and Carl's names on it.

As Weston studied the invitation and Debbie's driver's license, Carl produced his official police I.D. from the inside pocket of his jacket and flipped it open for the man to examine it.

Brad reviewed the documents carefully before he nodded, satisfied. "Thank you," he told them, handing the badge and driver's license back to the couple, along with the engraved invitation. "Enjoy your evening, folks," he added as he held the door open, remaining politely cool to them but secretly amused by Debbie's expression of affronted indignity.

Debbie harrumphed loudly as she placed her driver's license and invitation back in her purse. "We'll try not to shoplift anything valuable while we're here," she told the man to Carl's mortification. "I'll try to keep my hands off Brian's dildos. Come on, Carl," she demanded, grabbing her boyfriend's wrist and tugging him inside the now-teeming interior of the mansion as she continued to mutter in disgust at the extreme security measures.

The sound of several conversations being conducted by groups of well-dressed couples interspersed with the dozens of workers and wait staff buzzing around the home's spacious foyer as they handed out drinks; there were apparently numerous early birds at the wedding as evidenced by the crowds mingling about. Since the actual ceremony was being held outdoors by the lake that edged the back of the property, just like the wedding party the guests were being transported by several multi-passenger, antique horse-drawn carriages being shuttled back and forth from the rear of the house to the actual site. While the numerous guests waited for the next carriage, they were participating in the well-loved ritual of getting a little plastered prior to the actual nuptials; the crowds were taking up every available space in the downstairs foyer, as well as much of the room in the kitchen and the back patio as they waited for their ride.

Debbie had to turn sideways as she and Carl pushed their way through the foyer and down the hall to the kitchen which opened into the backyard. As they walked outside, she was relieved to recognize a familiar face standing by the open, double French doors and made a beeline toward him. "Ben!" she shouted over the din as she waved a red-fingernailed hand at him.

"Hey, Debbie, Carl," Ben greeted them, smiling congenially as he nodded his head in recognition. "Quite a mob scene, isn't it? You'd think Elizabeth Taylor was getting married again or something, wouldn't you?" he called out to them, joking. Just then, the next available carriage arrived with six, coal-black stallions leading in front and coming to a slow halt; they pawed the ground and snorted softly as they impatiently waited to leave once more with the next group of guests who were scurrying to get on board.

"Hey, Asshole!" Debbie growled in irritation as a somewhat inebriated guest jostled her in his attempt to reach the transportation and a small amount of the liquor he held in his hand spilled onto her sleeve. "Watch it!"

The man stumbled as he issued a mumbling apology and slowly staggered over to the flower-decorated wooden carriage; he was eventually pulled in by another well-meaning guest who was apparently more sober than he was and the carriage slowly began soon afterward to pick up speed on its journey toward the wedding venue.

"Nothing like a small, intimate, quiet ceremony," Debbie retorted, as she rubbed her upper arm where she had been bumped and finally reached Ben's side. "Any idea what's with all the fucking security?" she groused to her son-in-law, who chivalrously took her arm and led her and Carl over to a more out-of-the-way spot, farther away from the boisterous crowd. "Where's Michael, by the way?" she asked, noticing his absence for the first time.

"He's already out by the lake with Brian. He was lucky – he got to ride out there in a private carriage reserved for the bridal party. He decided to go on out there and see if Brian needed help with anything. Emmett's already out there, too, running around like a chicken with his head cut off. I called Michael a few minutes ago on his cell to see how everything's going; he said Emmett's going crazy handling all the last-minute details, but he's having the time of his life, being in the middle of all the excitement."

"As far as the security goes, Michael told me it's evidently because of Brian's father showing up. His father didn't want anything disrupting his son's wedding because he was in attendance and arranged for a security detail to make sure the ceremony went off without any distractions. He was afraid the press would find out where he went and make a fiasco out of the wedding."

"Hmm," Debbie said thoughtfully as she digested that surprising bit of information; she abruptly saw her opinion of Brian's father rise a notch. She had to grudgingly admit – it had been very thoughtful of the senator to arrange for security during his son's wedding. Of course, he was the reason why it was needed in the first place. But she had to confess – it certainly explained why there was a need for such tight scrutiny over who was allowed to enter the grounds. After all, a man who could possibly be the state's next Governor was certainly a newsworthy target, and to actually find out who the man's son was would be a significant coup. She was impressed that Senator O'Connor would go to such lengths to try and protect his son's identity, as well as ensure that Brian and Justin's wedding went out without any difficulties due to his notoriety.

How they would manage to suppress guests from using their camera phones, however, was unclear to her. Even with only invited guests, wasn't someone bound to spill the beans about the identify of Fin's son? She only hoped, especially for Justin's sake, that nothing went askew today; the young man she had grown to care so deeply about had experienced too much in his relatively short life already and deserved a wedding that went off smoothly without a hitch. They _both_ did.

* * *

_Same Time – Near the Front Gate_

As they approached the grounds of Britin, Fin let out a sigh of relief as he noticed every vehicle being stopped before they were allowed to enter through the gates. "Thank God – I'm glad Brad's got the security set up like I asked," he told Tony, who turned and nodded at him.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Fin," he told his partner, a soft smile on his face. "I'm sure that was a big relief to both of them. Justin didn't come out and say so, but I think he was a little worried that their wedding might turn into a three-ring circus if the press managed somehow to infiltrate it."

"He wasn't the only one," Fin told him as he slowed the car down to a crawl and took his place in the line of cars slowly snaking up to the driveway's gate. "I'm just relieved no one recognized us." He grinned. "You know, putting in that back entrance was the best money we ever spent. I still can't believe no one's realized it's the same grounds." Approximately five years ago, the neighbor who lived directly behind them had mentioned to him in passing one day that he was about to list his property for sale and retire down to Florida; almost before the man had even uttered the words, Fin had arranged to buy the property on the spot so he could construct an alternate entrance into his own property. Due to privacy concerns, the county's auditor had agreed not to list the actual new property's owner during the real estate transfer, which allowed Fin to maintain the secrecy needed to keep the press in the dark regarding the actual owner. Since then, he and Tony had utilized this alternate entrance numerous times with great success, to both of their surprise. Of course, becoming adept at donning disguises and being ever vigilant about who was lurking about when they exited hadn't hurt, either.

"Yeah, it was," Tony agreed, as they slowly inched forward in the sea of vehicles heading toward the gate. "But I won't miss all the disguises, though." Just the thought of all those wigs made his head itch even now, even though they had ditched their latest hairpieces several miles back, once they determined they thankfully had slipped by the press once again. He grew quiet for a moment before adding, "I guess I _will_ miss the anonymity, though."

Fin peered over at him thoughtfully. "Now I know you're not sorry I came out to the press, though, right?"

Tony twisted his mouth wryly. "You know better than that," he scolded his partner. "I think I've made my opinion on that abundantly clear, Senator. Of course I'm not. But that doesn't mean I can't mourn the loss of our privacy that's going to result from your disclosure."

Fin's face softened as he glanced over at Tony; he dropped his right hand from the steering wheel and reached to clasp his partner's to give it a brief squeeze. "Yeah – I remember," he said softly with a tender smile. "That's what makes this all bearable."

Tony smiled back at him reassuringly as their car finally was first in line to enter the grounds. Fin pressed the button to lower the driver's seat window and was immediately recognized by the security guard standing by the gate; he instantly greeted the Senator quietly and waved at him to proceed through without further preamble.

Fin grinned as he looked over at his partner smugly. "Sometimes, though, it does pay to be a celebrity," he said as Tony snorted in reply and rolled his eyes as they drove up the curved driveway. "In certain circumstances, that is."

"Don't get a big head," his partner chided him.

"I thought you already said I _have_ one," Fin countered, chuckling a little at the double entendre and the look of amusement on his partner's face as they continued toward the house.

Tony's retort died on his lips as he observed the hectic scene playing out in front of the imposing mansion; even though Brian's and Justin's wedding had been dubbed a smaller affair with only family, friends, and influential business associates invited, there were cars slowly streaming non-stop up the drive to halt besides a trio of uniformed parking valets stationed out front, and there were vehicles seemingly parked in every available greenspace surrounding the paved driveway. "Holy shit," he said in amazement. "This is what they call a _small_ wedding?" he commented dryly.

Fin turned to grin at him as he slowed the car down in front of the makeshift valet station and stopped. "What would you expect from an advertising genius?" he quipped, as the car door was opened and he stepped out, along with his partner.

They stood in front of the impressive house, gazing up at the dramatic, brick façade. Even though they had been here before, it never ceased to amaze both of them; the home was easily at least twice as big as their own dwelling. "This is quite a place," Tony observed. "Such a huge house for just two people. I guess your son really _is_ an advertising genius." A sudden, outrageous thought occurred to him just then in a flash of inspiration, but he chose to table the idea for a later time; he didn't know if he could persuade Brian or Fin to go along with it, anyway, but he resolved to discuss it with father and son as soon as things had settled down a little more and Brian and Justin had returned from their honeymoon.

From his vantage point near the open front door, Fin eyed the wall-to-wall crowd dubiously; not only was he not too thrilled about being in the midst of a virtual stampede in light of the current publicity surounding him, he was secretly also a little claustrophobic when he was hemmed in with a large, shoulder-to-shoulder mass of people.

Tony glanced at his partner, recognizing the tell-tale signs of anxiety. "How about we walk around to the back of the house?" he suggested thoughtfully. "I see Brad at the door; let's just make ourselves quietly known and see if we can just slip around to the back, okay?" They observed other impeccably-dressed men ringing the perimeter of the house, obviously more security personnel, but he figured since Fin had actually been the one to assign them, there shouldn't be a problem with them passing through on their way to the back instead of going trhough proper channels.

Fin peered back at him gratefully, thankful that his partner knew him so well. How in the world could he have risked losing this bond? "Yeah, good idea," he replied, nodding, his eyes expressive of his love for this insightful man as he gazed over at him.

Tony smiled as he walked around the crowd of people standing in line to enter the front door. Fin watched as his partner subtly tugged on Brad's sleeve to get his attention. He noticed Brad's eyes lighting up in recognition and a small smile appearing on his face as he leaned down for Tony to whisper in his ear. He watched Weston nod as he stood back up and looked out over the sea of faces until he found Fin and smiled slightly in acknowledgment. He also noticed the security man raising a small walkie-talkie to his mouth to voice instructions apparently to one of his subordinates, no doubt about him and Tony circumventing the circus congregated out front and inside the house.

Soon afterward, Tony walked back over to him silently and nodded. "All clear," he told his partner, taking Fin's lower arm and gently leading him toward the side of the house. His heart leapt a little as Fin pulled away from his grasp so he could reach over and take his hand in his instead; it hadn't been too long ago that his partner wouldn't have been caught dead even acknowledging their true relationship, let alone openly displaying any outward signs of affection toward him. This was certainly a major step forward then as his fingers curled around Fin's warm hand that was clasped in his. He felt Fin squeeze his hand back in return as he looked over and gave him a soft smile; he could feel his heart quicken at the tender look he was receiving as Fin's mouth twitched in response and they slowly made their way around to the side of the house.

Still standing away from the main crowd out back, Debbie, Carl and Ben were more than happy to wait until the teeming, impatient mob cleared out somewhat before taking their turn in the carriage; as special guests of the two grooms, they knew they had upfront seats reserved for them, anyway, by the lake so there was no obvious rush.

As they spoke quietly together, Debbie turned to observe the person responsible for all the security walking around the side of the house with his partner. Fin must have recognized either her or Carl, too, because he nodded at them as the two men walked up to stand next to them. "I remember you," Fin told her, reaching out to shake her hand. "You're Debbie, right? From the rehearsal dinner the other night."

Debbie eyed him carefully; she was still astounded by how much he resembled his son. "Yeah, that's right," she acknowledged, accepting his hand and shaking it briefly. "Do you remember Carl, my fiancé? And Ben Bruckner, my son-in-law." Even though she and Carl had decided to postpone getting married themselves, she still thought of him as her fiancé; and now that gay marriages had been legalized in West Virginia, she was hopeful that soon they would be in Pennsylvania as well. Her dream, then, of getting married herself would soon be fulfilled, just as soon as her own son could accomplish the same feat.

Tony's eyes widened a little at her mention of the strong-looking, muscular man standing next to her as her _son-in-law;_ he couldn't help feeling just a little envious. He remembered from the dinner that this man had married her son while they had been in Canada. He continued to stare at Ben, not able to prevent just a tinge of envy from showing on his face as the other man continued talking with Debbie and Carl.

Fin turned to look into his partner's eyes, which were staring with curiosity at the other man; he knew Tony well enough by now to know what must be going through his mind. He was trying to place himself in the same situation. Of course, it didn't help that his son and Justin were getting married today as well. Tony hadn't voiced it aloud, but Fin knew eventually that Tony wanted to get married, also. He also knew it was a subject that would have to be addressed at some point in the near future, but for now, he hoped his partner was content with his willingness to be more open about their relationship. That was a major step for him, and Tony had to realize that.

Ever since his partner had threatened to leave him over his inability to be up front about their long-term relationship, he had come to understand what he would be losing if Tony ever _did_ leave him; the thought of that happening was too much to bear, but just like a young child, he would have to take baby steps to get to the same point that his son and Justin were at; he only hoped his partner would be patient with him until he could.

"Of course," Fin was saying to Ben as they shook hands.

"How are you, Senator?" Ben asked, staring intently at the older man until he apologetically said, "I'm sorry - you just look so damn much like your son."

Fin nodded. "I completely understand," he said, smiling a little. "I've been hearing that a lot lately. And please call me Fin. You remember Tony Cassinelli, my partner." He smiled tenderly over at the handsome blond, who blushed a little at the attention as well as the unexpected use of the word _partner_.

Ben nodded at Tony. "Good to see you again," he told them. "Michael is Brian's best man. They're already out by the lake where the ceremony's taking place."

Fin acknowledged that statement with another nod. "I was _wondering _where Brian was. Is Justin out there, too?"

Ben frowned. "Not sure, actually. I spoke to Michael a few minutes ago, though, and he didn't say anything about Justin being there with them, so I'm assuming he's still in the house." He grinned as he gazed over at the crowd still mulling around on the back patio. "He's probably afraid to come down if he's had any inkling of the crowd out here. But he's going to have to come down eventually if he's going to get married. He's sort of a crucial part of the ceremony," he joked.

Debbie piped up, "Don't worry, Sunshine would _never_ miss his chance to get married to Brian. And you know what? As strange as it might have seemed a few years ago to most people, neither would Brian."

"I believe that," Tony told her. "I've seen them together – it's obvious how much they care about each other." He thought fondly of his first meeting with Justin at the capitol building; he had felt a certain kinship with the younger blond from the first day they had met. Even though he didn't realize who he was at first, he had been impressed with the man's courage and persistence. As he had gotten to know him even better over the past several weeks, he had been amazed as well as amused by how much alike they were. He couldn't help feeling close to a man who was hopelessly in love with a strong-willed, confident, yet strangely-vulnerable partner – someone who resembled the man _he _loved, too. He had no doubt that he and Justin would continue to share a strong bond together as long as their lives were intertwined with father and son.

"Do you think he'd mind if I went up and talked to him for a minute?" he asked, wanting a chance all of a sudden to see the blond artist and wish him luck on this next phase of his personal journey.

Debbie smiled. "No, he'd probably like that. I think he's undoubtedly a basket case right now, even though he's wanted this for a long time." She peered over at the crowd near the door before glancing back with skepticism at Tony. "You'll be like a salmon going upstream, though; you're kind of scrawny – think you can manage to slip in there without being crushed?"

Tony glared over at Fin in mock annoyance as he heard Fin snort at her comment about him being _scrawny_. "I think I can manage," he told her confidently, turning to stick his tongue out briefly at his partner being turning around to begin heading toward the door.

She nodded, chuckling at the quick display of bantering between Brian's father and his partner. "Well, then, the master bedroom's upstairs on the second floor," she called out to him. Turn left at the landing and it's the last door on the end."

Tony nodded his thanks as he turned around for a second. "I'll be back in a few minutes, then," he told the small group, as he began his "swim upstream."

"He reminds me a lot of Justin," she observed, watching the blond attorney navigate his way back to the door with surprisingly deftness. She turned back to scrutinize Fin, who found himself fidgeting just a little under the intense stare. "God help them both," she quipped to Fin's surprise, eyeing him with a smirk on her wrinkled face.

"Debbie," Carl admonished her, not exactly shocked by her frankness. Truthfully, he had kind of thought the same thing; two versions of Brian running around was, indeed, a sobering thought. He somehow had an idea, however, that both Justin and Tony could more than keep them under control, though.

_

* * *

_

Five Minutes Later

Standing at the top of the landing, Tony took a moment to straighten out his somewhat crumpled shirt and suit jacket. He peered down at the sea of people below and let out a shaky breath. Thank goodness the security man at the bottom of the steps had realized who he was and had allowed him to come upstairs. Not only was it hard to even move from room to room down there, but he had begun to feel just a little claustrophobic himself. Surely most of these guests would be moving outside shortly to begin their ride back to the wedding site. In the meantime, he wanted a few minutes alone with his counterpart.

He shook his head in amazement at the sight below him before turning to the left and proceeding down the hallway. He noticed the door on the end was slightly ajar as he approached. Stopping beside it, he peeked inside and was able to see Justin sitting on the bed, fully-dressed and seemingly lost in thought. He rapped softly a couple of times on the door and slowly opened it slightly as Justin looked over and smiled in recognition.

"Tony!" he called out, delighted. "Come on in!" He stood up to walk toward the other man with his hand outstretched.

Tony smiled back at him warmly as he walked over and shook Justin's hand. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said.

Justin grinned. "Only my attempt at taming my butterflies," he quipped. "Come and sit down with me," he invited the other man as he led him over to a small sitting alcove by a large, curved bay window and sat down in one of the two velour-covered, dark burgundy-colored stuffed Queen Anne chairs facing each other.

Tony accepted his invitation, taking his own seat in the other chair.

"Fin's with you, isn't he?" Justin asked, his voice betraying concern that Brian's father had maybe chickened out from coming after all.

But Tony reassured him. "He's here," the blond told him, as Justin smiled in relief. "He's out back with your friends Debbie, Carl, and Ben, just waiting for some of the crowd to thin out before they ride out to the wedding site."

Justin nodded, pleased. "I'm really glad. I knew he wanted to come, but if he's as much like Brian as he seems to be, I know nothing's ever guaranteed with those two." He suddenly realized what else Tony had said as he asked, "You said he's out back with Carl, Ben and _Debbie_?"

Tony grinned, picking up on his friend's inflection on the last name. "Yeah….she's a hoot, isn't she?"

Justin chuckled softly. "That's _one_ way of putting it. Let's just say that Debbie's never had any problem with telling you what's on her mind. I imagine today won't be any exception, either."

Tony nodded. "Yep, you got that right. She called me scrawny for one thing."

Justin laughed. "Scrawny?"

"Yeah, she sure did. She was worried I was too _scrawny_, in her words, to hold up against the mass of people clambering for a ride on the carriages going out to the wedding site. Although, with the crowd out there, I have a feeling _anyone_ would have the same problem. Have you seen how many people are outside as well as still in the house?"

Justin nodded. "Don't remind me – I peeked out the window here and got a good look. Most of the people I saw I don't even recognize; they must be clients of Brian's because I know most of his friends by now." He let out a shaky breath. "I really don't know why I'm nervous; it's not like I haven't wanted to do this for a long time now. I guess now that it's really going to happen, though, I'm just a little anxious until it's all over with."

Tony eyed him from his place in the chair. "You don't think Brian's having second thoughts by any chance, do you?"

Justin smiled, sure of one thing at least. "No," he said confidently, shaking his head. "I'm sure this time that he really _does_ want to get married; I'm not worried about that at all." Brian spent every day now either telling him or showing him how much he loved him; he had no reservations whatsoever that Brian was doing exactly what he wanted to do today – marrying him. "Like I said, I really don't have any reason to be nervous; I guess it's just getting up in front of so many people publicly and doing it that's makes it a little nerve-wracking."

Tony studied the younger version of himself thoughtfully. They were so much alike not only in physical appearance but inside as well. Both were hopelessly, deeply in love with proud, stubborn, but wonderful men, and both apparently craved the same thing – a long-time, loving relationship that involved the long-established hetero traditions of husband, home, and family. Only Justin was one step closer to that goal that he was.

"Tony?" he heard Justin softly calling him as he looked up, realizing he had zoned out for a few seconds. "Something wrong?"

Tony noticed the blue eyes peering back at him with genuine concern. He shook his head and offered a soft smile of reassurance. "No, not really." He faltered just a bit, wondering how straightforward to be with his friend. Deciding that Justin of all people should understand how he felt, he confessed, "I guess I'm just a little envious, that's all."

Justin frowned. "Envious? Why?"

Tony shook his head slightly, almost embarrassed to admit the true reason but deciding that being upfront with Justin was best. "I know it's silly, I guess, but I'm envious of you and Brian getting married today." He sighed wistfully. "I hope someday that it will be me and Fin."

Justin smiled sympathetically as he nodded. "I understand, really. But it took Brian and me quite a while before we both decided this was what we wanted, too. It didn't happen overnight, but it _did_ happen. You wait – it'll happen with you and Fin, too. The man loves you a lot – I can tell."

Tony snorted softly in amusement as he peered back at the younger man. "You can, can you?"

Justin nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I can. It's the way he looks at you. It's the same sort of look I get from Brian, actually," he admitted a little embarrassed. "It must be the same genes or something," he joked. "Don't ever doubt his love for you, Tony; I can tell, trust me."

Tony nodded in gratitude. "Thanks, Justin. Actually, I DO believe he loves me and I definitely can't imagine ever being with anyone other than Fin. I just don't know if he'll ever progress to where he would be willing to get married. That would be a huge step for him, although he's been a lot more candid about his being gay than I ever thought he would be."

Justin stared into the thoughtful, blue eyes of his friend. "Yeah, I think so, too. I think that's a good sign, actually. If he's willing to be more open about his sexuality in public, then I think he would be open to getting married one day, too."

Tony shrugged, still not totally convinced. "Maybe. But he has to get through this upcoming campaign for Governor first." He let out a whoosh of breath. "I don't think either one of us is really looking forward to what will no doubt be a very nasty year up ahead. The press has been pretty brutal since Fin came out; I can only imagine what the right-wing constituency will do to him in the next several months."

Justin pondered that information for a moment, knowing he had to get moving soon for his ceremony. "Does Fin know who his opponent will be yet?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, he thinks so. It's some right-wing radical I'm not that familiar with. Let's just say it's definitely shaping up to be a liberal versus conservative battle." As Justin nodded his understanding, Tony added, "I just hope that's not ALL that's emphasized during the campaign coming up. Fin really _does_ care about a lot of causes, not just gay rights. If people are so narrow-minded that they don't realize that, though, then it will be their loss. Fin is very passionate about this state as well as a lot of other things." He suddenly flushed a little as he noticed Justin staring back at him intently with amusement. "You know what I mean," he scolded his friend, smiling perceptively.

Justin laughed softly. "Yeah, I know _exactly_ what you mean. Like father, like son."

"Stop," Tony told him, holding out his hand in good-natured protest. "I'm not even going to go there. Besides," he said, trying fervently to change the subject. "You have a wedding to go to, don't you?" He looked over toward a clock on the fireplace mantel, noting with concern the time. "Uh, Justin, it's 4:45; shouldn't you be getting your ass in gear about now?"

Justin jumped up, his eyes widening with realization. "Shit! I'm going to be late for my own wedding!"

Tony laughed as he stood up. "Not if I can help it," he vowed. "I'm the king of sneaking around crowds. I think I heard there's a separate carriage for the wedding party?" He had heard Ben, Michael's husband, saying something about it earlier as Justin nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "It's supposed to be parked out by the corner of the house, away from the other shuttles when it's not in use, so that's not a problem. The problem is _getting_ there with this fucking crowd around." He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I let the time get away from me like that. Brian's going to actually wonder now if I want to get married or not." He began to frantically search for his suit jacket which seemed to have disappeared. "I knew I should have insisted on Daphne being my best woman," he muttered. But he knew while Daphne was here today to stand up with him and offer support, it would have been unfair to expect her to devote a lot of time to helping with the wedding, not while she was trying to attend medical school at the same time.

"Your friend that was at the rehearsal dinner?" Tony asked as Justin nodded in confirmation. "Is this it?" he asked his friend, reaching over to the back of the couch to retrieve a dark navy jacket with a silver square of fabric sticking out of the lapel pocket.

Justin sighed in relief, nodding. "Yeah, thanks." He quickly shrugged into it before taking a quick peek at himself in the mirror.

"You look great, Justin," Tony reassured him as he nodded, still feeling just a little envious of his friend who was about to marry the man he loved.

Justin smiled and took a deep breath to steady himself; his stomach was still tied in knots of excitement at what he and Brian were about to do. "Thanks," he said simply. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess." He held his arm outward to indicate Tony should lead as the two left the spacious master bedroom to walk down the hallway toward the steps.

To Justin's immense relief, the crowd had finally cleared out substantially; there were only a few guests left in the house and he could actually hear the steady, quiet ticking of their grandfather clock nearby. They proceeded toward the steps and began to walk down to the first floor, which was still being monitored by a security guard who glanced up as he noticed them coming down.

The guard, who had already been provided with identification photos of not only Brian and Justin but also Tony and Fin as well, nodded in recognition and immediately unhooked the makeshift velvet rope from its metal stand and waved them through. "Congratulations, by the way, Mr. Taylor," he said politely as Justin passed by him.

Justin paused briefly to smile politely at the man and thank him before the two friends proceeded to the front door, deciding it would actually be quicker to reach the wedding party's carriage through this route rather than through the back.

As they walked out the door and around the side of the house, again being quickly ushered past the additional security guards, Justin asked, "You think you can get to Fin and the others so they can join us? If they're still here, it'd probably be a lot quicker if all of you just ride out with me – there's plenty of room; and besides, I have a feeling they're not going to start until I get there."

Tony grinned. "Well, let's hope not, anyway," he joked. "I'll be right back," he said, walking quickly over toward the back patio. Fortunately, the crowds here as well had thinned out considerably now so he was able to easily make out his partner and the others still huddled together off to the side. He noticed a look of relief filter across Fin's face, however, as he saw him approaching.

"Thank God!" Fin told him as Tony walked up. "I was beginning to get worried; the wedding's supposed to start in ten minutes! Where's Justin?" he asked as the others peered at him curiously while they watied for his answer.

"He's standing over there, actually; he's waiting for us. He said we can all ride out with him together."

Fin nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's get going, then – I don't want Brian to think I'm not coming," he replied, as everyone in their small group began to walk over toward the second, more isolated wedding party carriage.

As they approached the other carriage, bedecked with garlands of baby breaths and miniature white roses along the frame and roof, Debbie was able to get a good look at one of the grooms. "Sunshine!" she screeched loudly as she rushed over to Justin with her arms outstretched. "You look fantastic, Honey!" she gushed at him.

Justin smiled back at her in good humor; he knew he wouldn't be able to stop Debbie's effusive greeting to him, even if he tried, so he decided he might as well indulge her in it as he allowed himself to be scooped up into her arms for a brief but firm hug before she stood back to admire his attire.

"You look so handsome," she murmured appreciatively, her eyes aglow with happiness for her young friend. "I'm so happy for you, Sunshine."

Justin swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat at her heartfelt statement as his eyes misted over briefly. "Thanks, Deb," he replied sincerely as he smiled back at this over-the-top but loving woman who had supported and nurtured him from the moment they had met. If it hadn't been for Debbie, he didn't know what he would have done. She had not only helped him get a job at the diner, but she had also willingly given him room and board whenever he needed it, not to mention giving him a shoulder to cry on from time to time. He was honored to be considered an honorary son of this woman as he impetuously reached over and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm so glad you're here," he told her softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders affectionately.

She smiled back at him and replied with surprising gentleness, "I am, too, Baby. I am, too." Noticing the rest of their group hanging back a little, wondering what to do, she turned around to command, "Everybody, get your asses in there – this man has a wedding to go to!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Ben immediately responded, walking over and grabbing onto one of the bars to hoist himself up into the back, third seat of the vehicle. Debbie was helped up by Carl, who joined her across from Ben, leaving Justin with Fin and Tony.

"Ready, Justin?" Fin asked him as he reached out to shake the blond's hand; he felt oddly like some proud father all of a sudden as he realized he was about to witness an important milestone in his only son's life; he decided it wasn't such a bad feeling, just a little strange to him as Justin nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he told him with conviction as he shook his soon-to-be father-in-law's hand before releasing it. "I'm glad you're both here to witness it, too; so is Brian."

Fin nodded. "I'm honored to be here," he said sincerely. "Thank you both for including me."

Justin smiled softly. "We wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Fin smiled, not quite sure if Brian felt the same but grateful for the sentiment nonetheless. He glanced up at the expectant faces of Justin's friends as he said, "After you, then."

Justin nodded and, placing his hand around one of the wooden beams, used it to swing himself up into the first seat of the carriage. Tony and Fin followed soon afterward, opting to sit across from Justin as they faced toward the rear of the vehicle.

The driver, elegantly dressed in black top hat and tails, jerked on the reins to get the horses' attention and barked out a sharp, crisp command for the magnificent stallions to begin moving; slowly the horses began to trot as the carriage lurched slightly before following. The clip-clop of their hooves on the dirt path infused the grounds with a feeling of nostalgia and peacefulness as the group companionably rode slowly toward the rear of the property.

Justin's heart was beating rapidly in anticipation the closer they moved toward the makeshift wedding venue; he had seen it partially completed yesterday when Emmett had shown up and took him out to see the workers' progress so far, but this would be the first time he had seen it completely finished. He wasn't worried, though; he knew his friend would accomplish his task wonderfully. If anyone was even more excited about the two of them getting married, it would be their jubilant friend.

Ever since he had found out from Justin a few months ago that he and Brian were actually going through with their ceremony this time and best of all, they wanted him to be the planner, he had been excitedly bouncing around Pittsburgh, delirious with the thought of being able to use Brian's considerable clout as well as wealth to plan a wedding that would be the wedding of all gay weddings. The only thing Brian had made Justin promise was that he didn't have to deal with their flamboyant friend's excitable ravings about whatever drink, flower, or decoration he had managed to secure; he was more than happy to leave those prissy sort of lesbionic, romantic things up to his fiancé to decide.

As they approached the venue, however, Justin let out a gasp; it was absolutely beautiful. In deference to Brian's request not to go too over the top, Emmett had opted instead for simplicity. Justin knew that he and Brian would be married inside a temporary gazebo, but he had thought it would be constructed near the water's edge. Emmett had somehow, though, managed in a relatively short time to actually have it built on _top_ of the water, accessible by a white, wooden walkway. Surrounding the octagonal-shaped gazebo were mounds of profusely-blooming purple, pink and white blooms that were reflected in the water's softly-rippling waves that radiated out toward the water's edge.

Set up in a diagonal pattern on either side of the pathway heading into the gazebo were several rows of white chairs, each festooned with a white-colored fabric covering and tied with a soft blue sash in the back. The chairs were set up in such a way that they could clearly hear the vows being said but were far enough away to provide some sense of privacy and intimacy for the two grooms.

"Oh, my God!" Justin murmured in awe as they neared the picturesque setting and he could see the entire vista clearly now. "It's beautiful." His eyes misted up involuntarily as he realized this was it – he and Brian were actually going to get married. It was really going to happen…..

Tony reached over to grasp Justin's wrist briefly and nod at him, understanding perfectly how he must feel at that moment. He couldn't help smiling, too; somehow it almost felt like he was getting married right along with Justin.

Fin looked at the two blond bookends and shook his head in amusement; both were being far more sentimental than he felt at the moment, but he supposed that was what made him love Tony, and no doubt why his son loved Justin; they were hopeless, sappy romantics at heart. As he gazed over at the wedding setting, though, he had to admit – it _was_ very elegant and classic in its simplicity and design.

As the carriage slowed down to a stop, all the guests peered over expectantly at them. Justin, however, only had eyes for the tall, devastatingly handsome brunet whose hazel eyes had locked on his blue ones as soon as the vehicle had pulled up. Brian was currently standing off to the side by the water's edge, waiting impatiently with Michael, Daphne, and the minister for the other groom and his father to show up. Justin's breath caught in his throat as his gaze swept over the trim, elegant frame of his partner and soon-to-be-husband; he almost felt like pinching himself to make sure this wasn't all some wonderful dream, but he knew it wasn't – it was a wonderful reality as Brian gazed back at him tenderly.

Justin thought he saw a flicker of relief appear on his fiancé's face as he returned his smile a little sheepishly; he knew he had cut it close, but he was confident he had arrived at least a few minutes before the ceremony was to begin. Brian whispered something in Michael's ear before proceeding to walk over to Justin and his entourage.

He couldn't help grasping Justin by the shoulders and leaning down to bestow a short but deep kiss on his fiance's lips. As they reluctantly broke apart he softly chided his partner, "I was beginning to wonder if your horse broke a shoe, Mr. Taylor. Did you get lost coming from the house?" He curled his lips under, tongue in cheek; his eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and relief as he smiled softly back at the blond.

"Tony and I got to talking up at the house and I lost track of the time," he admitted, a little embarrassed as Brian shook his head and grinned.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," he quipped. He looked over at Debbie who was being helped down from the carriage by Carl. "And how are you, Mother Novotny?" he asked her affectionately; he couldn't have imagined getting married to Justin without her being here; besides, Debbie might have literally asked for his one remaining ball if he had omitted her from the guest list.

As Carl hopped down beside her, Brian reached over and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek before Debbie had a chance to reply. She smiled warmly at yet another adoptive "son" of hers as she looked around the setting appreciatively. "Emmett has outdone himself," she decided, waving furiously at the wedding planner in question as she caught his eye from across one of the grassy banks and beamed her approval at him before returning her gaze back to Brian. "This is absolutely incredible."

Brian twisted his mouth good-naturedly; he wasn't really into the all the flouncy shit connected with weddings, but he had to admit, Emmett at least hadn't gone too overboard. It was still obvious there was a wedding about to take place, and it was still a little too flowery for his taste, but thankfully, it wasn't too in-your-face lacy and romantic. Besides, he figured if it made Justin happy, for one day he could put up with it. He only hoped that when it came time for the reception, Justin had made sure that some good old expensive booze was on hand in case he needed to drink away his vision of too many roses and sprigs of baby breath invading his senses.

"It's okay," Brian replied in his standard, understated manner as he and Justin shared a mutual look of understanding as to what Brian really meant. That was as much outright approval as Brian would be voicing aloud regarding the job that Emmett had done for them. The brunet glanced up as the two remaining passengers jumped down from the carriage; his father walked rather awkwardly up to him and extended his hand out.

There was a brief, pregnant pause before Brian slowly raised his hand to meet the other man's. "Fin," he said simply, nodding politely as the two shook hands. He nodded once more at the man's partner. "Tony," he said, acknowledging the other man.

"Brian," Tony responded, watching the somewhat stiff interaction between father and son. Despite Brian and Justin's invitation for them to attend the wedding, he and Justin both knew they still had a ways to go before you could actually call their relationship cordial; at the moment he would consider it more like polite and friendly but not overly so.

As Fin broke off his handshake with his son, he told him, "Thank you for inviting Tony and me to the wedding. I really appreciate it, Brian."

Brian nodded slightly but didn't really know how to respond verbally. He was fortunately spared the need to initiate further, stilted conversation as his son came rushing up just then to greet Justin.

"Jus'n!" Gus cried out in delight as he came running up to the blond whose face broke out into a delighted smile at the sight of this smaller version of Brian. Gus' outfit was a miniature duplicate of Brian's, from the dark gray suit to the sliver of a light blue triangle handkerchief peeking out of the lapel pocket. Gus' shirt was open at the collar, partly to replicate Brian's own look but also to avoid having a squirmy little boy who couldn't stand still during the ceremony because of a too-tight necktie. As Justin knelt down to give the little boy a hug, he noticed the little boy was currently swinging the ring pillow back and forth by the side of his body as if it were some sort of fluffy pendulum.

Frowning, Brian stared down at son and said, "Where're the rings, Sonny Boy?"

"In my pocket, Daddy," Gus told him, reaching in his right pants pocket to retrieve the two gleaming, gold wedding bands and proudly holding them up in his palm. "See? I'm taking real good care of them," he assured his father, who smiled back at him tenderly as he glanced over at his amused fiancé.

"I'm glad to see that, Gus," he told his son. "Just make sure you keep them where they're safe, okay? We'll need them in a few minutes. Do you remember what you do when the minister asks for the rings?"

Gus nodded excitedly. "When he asks for the rings, I give them to him, don't I?"

Brian smiled. "That's exactly right, Buddy. Think you can remember to do that for Justin and me?"

Gus nodded vigorously. "But I want to go for another horsey ride, Daddy; do we have time?"

Brian laughed as the others chuckled. "I think Justin would rather we wait to do that, Sonny Boy. When it's all over with, though, we'll be riding over to the reception area, so you'll get another chance soon, okay?" Emmett had arranged for the reception to be a little closer to the house, since he would need some of the supplies that had been stored in the commercial-sized kitchen and in the wine cellar located in the basement. Once the wedding was over, the guests would once more be shuttled via carriage back to the reception area or they could opt to walk if they were feeling particularly energetic. Gus, however, would be able to ride back immediately afterward in the private wedding party's carriage.

The little boy nodded; satisfied that soon he would be able to enjoy yet another ride in the special, antique vehicle. "Okay, Daddy. Can we get started now then?"

Brian laughed. "Well, I guess we could, Sonny Boy," he replied, placing his hand on the brown head and affectionately ruffling his son's hair. As if on cue, he looked over and observed the minister heading their way, along with Daphne and Michael. The middle-aged, gray-haired man, who oversaw one of the local area churches, had agreed to officiate during their wedding here at Britin.

Daphne walked over to her blond friend and the two embraced for a few seconds before she leaned back to stare into his shining blue eyes. The smile on his face seemed to radiate all the way into his eyes, which were sparkling with joy over his upcoming nuptials.

"You did it, Justin," she told him softly out of earshot of the others.

Justin looked at her a little puzzled. "Did what?" he asked her.

"You went after your man and you got him," she quipped, smiling at him. She felt a lump appear in her throat and her heart warmed at the look of happiness on her friend's face. He had been through so much – the anguish of being ostracized by his homophobic father, the loneliness of not having a real home, the pain of being initially rejected by Brian, and his constant worries over trying to support himself while going to art school, not to mention the horrific injuries he had sustained from his head bashing. Through it all, though, he had somehow persevered and had become a stronger man despite it. Now she had the privilege of seeing him married at last to the man he had loved for so long, and who deeply loved him in return. "I am so happy for you," she told him, her eyes welling up with tears as she lightly caressed his cheek briefly.

Justin shook his head in silent rebuff as he felt his own tears starting to emerge. "Stop it, Daphne, or you'll get me all choked up, too," he chided her, twisting his lips dryly as she quickly swiped her tear-stained cheek with her hand to brush aside the single teardrop that had fallen.

She smiled up at him, a little too overwhelmed at the moment to speak; she took a calming breath before nodding. She managed to find her voice after a few seconds to whisper, "Ready to do this?"

Justin smirked. "Are you kidding me? _More_ than ready, believe me." He glanced over at Brian, who smiled and nodded at him as he held out his hand in invitation.

"Let's do it, Sunshine," he simply said as Justin placed his hand in his and they clasped them together. As they stood there, hand in hand, Brian turned to the minister. "Reverend? I think we're ready to get started now."

The older man nodded as he looked over at the other participants in the wedding party. "Ladies and gentlemen, Gus, if you'll take your places? I'll tell Mr. Honeycutt we're ready now."

As he squeezed Justin's hand briefly and the blond grinned over at him, Brian could feel his fiance's hand shaking slightly, no doubt due to nerves, even though he knew Justin had nothing to be nervous about. There was no way he was backing out of it this time, and there was no way he would let Justin, either; they were going through with it, come hell or high water.

"Thank you, Reverend," Brian told him politely as the others began to walk toward the gazebo to take their places, Carl and Debbie leading the way ahead of them so they could hurriedly take their seats up front as honored guests next to Jennifer. To Justin and Brian's relief, Daphne took Gus' hand so he wouldn't be tempted to run off before he was needed as they began to walk away with the others.

Before the others could get too far, however, Brian called after them. "Wait!" he said commandingly as he looked over at Fin and Tony to address them directly. "You need to go before the wedding party so you can take your seats up front with Kathy and Sean."

Fin face lit up with a surprised smile; at that moment he couldn't think of any greater honor than being given a treasured spot up front with Lydia's parents. He hadn't expected Brian to actually make him a part of the actual wedding party; although their relationship had thawed somewhat over the past few weeks, he knew they had a long way to go yet. But just the idea that his son wanted him to sit next to his maternal grandparents made him feel unexpectedly special.

Tony glanced at his normally stoic partner whose face was mirroring his own emotion; he was inexplicably choked up at this simple gesture, because he knew how much it would mean to Fin. He watched as his partner whispered to his only son, "I'm honored, Brian."

Justin and Tony exchanged a knowing glance as Brian simply nodded in mute response before holding out his hand in a silent request for them to proceed. As Fin once more took Tony's hand to his partner's delight, they began to walk ahead of the wedding party down toward the front rows, stopping at the row containing Sean and Kathy, who stood up to graciously greet them.

As his father and Tony sat down next to his grandparents, Brian nodded at the minister. "_Now_ we can begin," he told him, satisfied that everything was finally in place. As the minister acknowledged him with a nod of his own and the rest of the wedding party followed him toward the last row of chairs to wait for the string and harp ensemble located nearby to start the processional music, Brian and Justin were left surprisingly alone for just a moment.

As if in one accord, Brian and Justin both turned to face each other and stare into each other's eyes one last time as partners rather than husbands. "This is it, Sunshine," Brian quipped. "No backing out now."

Justin snorted. "Don't even think about it, Mr. Kinney. You're not going anywhere until that ring's on your finger and the ball and chain is firmly attached to your leg."

Brian grinned before his face unexpectedly sobered and he gazed back at Justin softly. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Mr. Taylor," he said quietly to Justin's surprise. It wasn't that Justin was particularly shocked by Brian's commitment to him – they had long ago passed the point of suspicion and hesitation regarding their devotion to each other – but hearing it aloud still made his heart leap with excitement and happiness.

As Justin's face broke out into a beaming smile of happiness and his eyes shone once more with the tears that threatened to fall, Brian said, "Now let's go get your ass hitched."


	27. With This Ring, I Thee Wed!

_A/N: Hello, my friends!:) Just finished this part of the story and while it's shorter than most of my epic chapters, I decided to go ahead and post it as I have to, alas, return to work tomorrow and that will no doubt cut into my posting speed somewhat. I figured you would all at least like the wedding to read, so I will stop it here. The reception will be in the next chapter. I look for maybe either one or two more chapters of this before the end, but never fear, I've got a sequel in the works! Hope you enjoy this chapter - thanks for all the reviews! This has been one of my favorites by far for me to write...!_

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As the soft music began to commence playing a muted version of the "Canon," the minister – a rather imposing man by virtue of his 6'5" stature and 265 lb. frame – began to proceed down between the two rows of white and blue draped chairs as all the guests stood up and turned to observe the processional arriving.

Walking directly behind him was Gus, still swinging the ring pillow back and forth in an obvious demonstration that he really had no idea what it was for, and then Daphne escorted by Michael, who had chivalrously linked her arm in his before they had started down the aisle. The couple was tastefully clothed in apparel that subtly complimented the navy and charcoal suits the grooms were wearing; Daphne had chosen (with Emmett's assistance, of course) a blue-gray tailored pantsuit that was softened somewhat by the light gray silk camisole blouse worn beneath her jacket and a pair of satiny matching shoes; adorning her ears were a pair of sterling silver ball earrings with just a dot of a diamond sparkling from them to give them a little more shine.

Around her neck she was wearing a new silver and ruby claddaugh friendship necklace that Brian, of all people, had bought her as a surprise thank you for not only being Justin's attendant today but more importantly, being his partner's best friend and staunchest confidant over the past several years. The necklace, depicting a heart being held by two hands and adorned with a ruby in the middle, was decorated in an antique finish that perfectly matched the color of her suit. She hadn't really had a chance yet in all the hubbub lately to even show it to Justin, let alone tell him how she had gotten it, but it was perhaps just as well; something told if she _had_, her friend would probably be even more of a sniffling, sentimental mess than he would no doubt be later today, she thought as she smiled to herself. Yes, all of them had certainly come a long way, and she wouldn't have missed today for anything.

Michael's outfit was a slightly darker shade than Brian's to offset the wedding party's; in the jacket's lapel was the same color silver cloth triangle as the grooms' handkerchiefs, which perfectly matched the color of Daphne's camisole, also. On the sleeves of his steel-gray shirt was a pair of cufflinks that Justin had gifted him with earlier today upon his arrival at the house. Justin had somehow found time to have them custom made by an elderly, artisan-type jeweler in Pittsburgh and were "superhero" cufflinks fashioned to resemble Michael's beloved "Captain Astro" character. Michael had unexpectedly found himself all choked up with emotion as Justin had told him he couldn't think of a more appropriate theme for the cufflinks, because to Brian, his best friend would always be his superhero for rescuing him from a horrific childhood and constantly being at his side through all the ups and downs of his life. He found himself almost choking up again now as he reflected on how much his and Justin's friendship had also evolved over the years. They had both grown far beyond their initial mistrust and uneasy alliance into a cordial, close bond, forged by one particular, stubborn, but so-much-in-love-now-it-was-ridiculous man. My, how things had changed…

Justin wasn't sure it if was "proper etiquette" to hold the other groom's hand as they slowly walked together between the two rows of chairs, but frankly, he didn't care; he was enjoying the familiar feel of Brian's warm hand in his far too much to let go. Besides, there was a slight possibility that if he DID let go, his shaking knees might threaten to buckle beneath him from the nervous butterflies flying around furiously in his stomach. He didn't know why he was feeling that way; he knew by now that Brian wasn't going to back out. Maybe it was the fact that this time, Brian's grandparents and his actual father were there to witness the event. That made the whole occasion so much more important in his eyes.

As he gazed over at Brian, who gave him a small, reassuring and tender smile in response, his heart quickened in joy. And as he peered over at his mother's look of happiness, along with those of Brian's _real_ family, he knew this made the day complete. He decided it just couldn't get any more perfect than this.

Brian curled his lips under in amusement as he felt Justin's hand trembling in his grasp. _Once a sentimental twat, ALWAYS a sentimental twat_, he thought fondly. He thought back about that day so many years ago when Justin had arrived, unannounced, at his loft door, intending to march right back in like he owned the place, only to be stopped in his tracks by "Father Good Fuck" arriving unexpectedly. As he had rather reluctantly run after the blond outside later, he remembered clearly how he had told Justin in no uncertain terms that, while it had been a lot of fun and it had been pleasurable, it had just been a fuck, a one-time thing. He could also remember how this scared, anguished little schoolboy had tried to actually blurt out to him that he _loved_ him, of all things, after one encounter. Little did he know then, however, how true those words would turn out to be. Not only had Justin fallen in love with him, he had somehow managed to fall in love, too. And now, as they slowly walked down the royal-blue, carpeted aisle toward the gazebo, he couldn't ever imagine not ever having this astonishing, wise-beyond-his-years man by his side.

And as much as he found it somewhat surprising, he was thankful that Sean, Kathy, and even Fin and Tony were here. In the short time he had known his grandparents, he had found them to be the complete antithesis of his parents. They were warm, understanding, loving, and proud to have him and Gus as part of their family. What a world of difference between them and his horrid, adoptive parents. He hated now even to think of Joan and Jack Kinney in that light; it was true – legally, they had been his adoptive parents, the people who had taken him in and raised him, but emotionally and where it really counted, he would _never_ again think of them as simply nothing more than the two people he had been unfortunately dumped with for so many years and now was thankfully rid of, once and for all.

And Fin? His real father? How did he really feel about _him_? He still wasn't sure. The man was an enigma to him in a lot of ways. Stubbornly refusing at first to even meet him and afraid to come clean about who he really was, but also intelligent and passionate about what he cared about as well as driven and persistent; in a way, to his chagrin much like himself. And he had to give the man credit for being aggressive about handling security for his and Justin's wedding; if something had happened to ruin this for Justin, especially after his fiancé had made a point of inviting him and Tony to be here, he would have been royally pissed.

But now as he walked slowly toward the gazebo, he couldn't help thinking how utterly surreal it was to see a set of grandparents and a father he didn't even know about until just a few weeks ago attending the wedding he never really imagined he would ever be participating in. But as he looked once more over at Justin, and felt his hand securely in his, he knew it was all very much real and he _also_ knew without any hesitation that he was doing what he really wanted to do – marrying this wonderful, incredible man willingly and without any reservation.

As they approached the rows containing their closest friends and family, Justin turned to the one on the right where his mother was sitting at the end and stopped just long enough to smile at her and give her a kiss on the cheek; Molly, who was standing next to her, beamed at him in delight over the fact that very soon she would have the coolest of all men for her brand-new brother-in-law and that her brother had finally gotten what his heart deserved and what he had desired for such a long time.

Mother and son nodded at each in silent, mutual understanding as Brian, too, leaned over to place a gentle kiss on both Jennifer and Molly's cheeks; Molly blushed profusely at the attention as her eyes sparkled with joy for both her brother and for Brian, who she had come to adore by now.

The two men made one last stop at the row on the opposite side and repeated the same action with Debbie, who smiled sentimentally through the tears forming in her eyes. Perhaps the biggest baby of them all, however, was Emmett, who was unobtrusively standing next to Ted in a front corner near the staging area, his cheeks wet with freshly-fallen tears of happiness as he watched two of his friends, who had battled so much adversity as well as misunderstanding over the years, finally get married to each other. He clutched several balled-up white tissues in his left hand that Ted had graciously supplied for him, ready to probably use them all before the ceremony was over.

A few days ago, he had been told by Justin that he and Brian had decided to write and recite their own vows; Brian wasn't too happy about the lesbionic connotation of the idea, but he apparently had decided he was even _less_ enthralled with the antiquated "I take thee, Justin, and I promise to obey" part of the traditional vows even more. Oh, it wasn't that he was planning on roaming anywhere else or WITH anyone else – Justin was it for him as far as he was concerned now that he had experienced the best – but it just didn't sit well with him for some reason, so with some resistance he had finally been persuaded to jot down some vows of his own instead. That, of course, made Justin a bit nervous, never knowing quite what would come out of Brian's somewhat unorthodox manner of looking at things, but Brian had assured him that in deference to him as well as any children around, he would make a concerted effort to tone down his language…somewhat.

As the wedding party began to cross over the wooden bridge to the gazebo, the crowd slowly sat down and the whisper of music ceased. An expectant hush fell over the guests as Gus walked directly behind the minister, the tallest and shortest of the wedding participants presenting an almost comical scene as Michael and Daphne followed closely behind them.

As instructed earlier by Emmett, Brian and Justin waited by the water's edge until the rest of the wedding party had crossed over; gazing into each other's eyes for a few seconds, they walked hand in hand over the temporary walkway to the gazebo and stopped in front of the minister. They turned to face each other in profile so the guests could see them clearly while they recited their vows, as Daphne held onto Gus' hand and she and Michael stepped back a few feet away.

The minister, a native Irishman appropriately with the name of Patrick McClanahan, turned to face the crowd and began the ceremony with a deep, booming, authoritarian voice; he momentarily startled Gus in his intensity, causing Brian to stifle the laugh that was threatening to erupt from his lips as he observed his son literally jump at the initial sound of the man's voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today to witness the joining of Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor in marriage. If there is anyone here who objects to this proceeding, let them speak now or forever hold his peace."

Justin covered his mouth in amusement as he watched Debbie immediately rise from her chair and turn around, fixing a death stare on the rest of the crowd as she placed her hands on her hips and glared back at the other guests, daring them to utter so much as a hiccup. Even a pin could have been heard dropping on the grass nearby as not one sound, not even a breath or a bird call, was heard for the next few seconds as, satisfied there would be no rejoinder to the minister's statement, she nodded in satisfaction and sat back down smugly to watch the rest of the proceedings.

Brian, however, couldn't hold his response in as well as Justin as he immediately burst out laughing, which caused Justin to momentarily join him, along with several other guests who decided it was now safe to snicker in response. "I think that's a no, Reverend," Brian told the minister helpfully, who nodded.

McClanahan looked out at the crowd to inform them, "Brian and Justin have chosen to recite their own vows. Brian?"

Hands still clasped together, Brian took a deep breath, finding it hard for some reason to stare into Justin's eyes for fear he would chicken out. This was not his forte – reciting heartfelt words of devotion to someone else, even if it was the man he loved more than life itself – but he knew he had to do it for Justin, that he _could_ do it because it was Justin.

As if he was reading his thoughts, he felt Justin give his right hand a squeeze in reassurance as he raised his head to gaze into the expressive pools of blue; Justin gave him a slight, almost nervous smile as Brian curled his lips under in that little-boy-lost look before nodding slightly back at him in acknowledgement. He took in a silent breath of courage before he began to speak right from his heart which was now filled with love instead of emptiness. This would be the first time either man had heard these sentiments spoken aloud as they had chosen to keep them a secret from each other; Brian fervently hoped that what he was about to say would pay true justice to the magnificent, special man standing in front of him at that moment.

"Justin," he began softly, staring into his fiancé's eyes. "I never in my life thought I would be doing this. I've spent all of my adult life only focused on two things – how much money I could make and how much pleasure I could receive without any emotional entanglements. I thought marriage vows were only for hetero people and sentimental queers who deceived themselves into thinking they needed them as verification of their actions. I would have fought with my last dying breath that I would never be standing here, about to do what we're about to do."

"But you proved me wrong, Sunshine." Brian spoke his partner's pet name clearly and without any hesitation or embarrassment; by now the name seemed as much a part of Justin as his art did. "You caught my eye from the moment I saw you, and even though I thought you were going to be just like all the others – that I would get what I could from you and never look back – you wouldn't let me."

Justin smiled at that statement; he knew how hard Brian had fought initially to push him away, but at the time Brian didn't know just how persistent a hopelessly-in-love little twink could be. Especially one that had experienced the master touch and seen the glorious face and body of a living god.

Brian smirked at the amused expression on Justin's face, the look of _I wouldn't let you go, Kinney_, _and you knew it_.

As Brian continued to speak from his heart, the only other sounds that could be heard were from several birds perched near the lake in the numerous, mature maple and oak trees that surrounded the water. As if in celebration of the momentous event, one bird in particular, a mockingbird that had come to perch on top of the nearest maple tree, began to boisterously sing a virtual aria of birdsong, vocally displaying his repertoire in his clearest, loudest voice as he periodically flew up and down a few feet above the tallest branch in a showy display of talent. Unfortunately, the longer Brian spoke, the louder the bird's whistling and chirping became…..

The incessant sound droned on for so long that Justin and Brian both soon became aware that one of their "guests" was threatening to upstage their vows. Brian could tell that Justin was trying to concentrate on what he was saying but was having a difficult time doing so; he watched as Justin frowned slightly in irritation. Brian could only imagine what was going through his fiancé's head, but he imagined he could hear it now…. _I've waited six, long, fucking years to hear this and now we're upstage by a fucking bird?__‼ _

Brian paused in the recitation of vows then to turn toward the audience to address them. "Anyone have a gun here?" he asked sarcastically, searching the crowd with a totally serious expression on his face. He noticed Carl sitting next to Debbie. "Carl?"

Justin still couldn't help giggling a little at that comment and the deadly solemn look on Brian's face, as Carl smiled and shook his head apologetically, not about to take out his revolver merely to help dispel a pesky intruder of the feathered kind.

Brian shook his head in exasperation and sighed in resignation as the culprit above them continued his medley of song, oblivious to everyone's consternation. Just then, a loud boom was heard as the mockingbird, along with all his other feathered friends, quickly took to the skies in a panic and the surrounding area around the gazebo was quiet once more.

All the wedding guests, along with Justin, Brian and their wedding party, turned in surprise to observe Emmett nearby, a small, torn brown paper bag in his hands. There was a large, gaping hole at the end where he had blown into it and popped it with his hand. He shrugged at their looks of puzzlement. "Old trick Aunt Lula taught me to keep the hawks away from the other birds," he told them sheepishly with a smile.

Justin and Brian looked at Emmett's nonchalant expression on his face and both burst out laughing. The tension broken and the momentary problem solved, the two men faced each other once more as they smiled at each other tenderly.

"Well, no one can ever say our lives will be boring, Sunshine," Brian improvised as Justin grinned. "Now where was I before I was so rudely upstaged?" He thought back to what he had last said as part of his vows before continuing. "Oh, yeah…I was reciting my ridiculously romantic vows, wasn't I?" he said, curling his lips under as Justin acknowledged the deeper meaning of that statement with a tender smile and just a wisp of moistened eyes. Only the two of them, and perhaps Daphne to a smaller degree, really knew the symbolism of that relatively small phrase that held so much meaning behind it.

"I'm so fucking – oops, sorry, guys," Brian said at the slip, "so glad, Justin, that you never gave up on us, even when I didn't know there was going to _be_ an "us." It took me a while to realize that, I know – maybe a LONG while, at least outwardly. But somehow I knew you were different and whether I liked it or not, you were going to change my life forever. And you did – and you have. And I'm so fuc…..so grateful for that." For a few seconds, Brian gazed out into the crowd until his eyes focused on the row where his grandparents and his father were sitting and he gave them a small twist of his mouth, a slight gesture of appreciation, toward the new family watching him about to wed the man he loved.

Justin's heart was pounding as the tender words of love flew unexpectedly from Brian's lips. Oh, he had heard variations of them before in private – when it was just the two of them – but to hear Brian say them out loud in front of everyone else was almost too much to comprehend; it was an exquisite form of happiness that he had never quite felt before, and his heart began to sing with its uniqueness.

The tears began to well up in his eyes as Brian continued to speak and he hurriedly released his hold on Brian's right hand to hurriedly bring his own hand up to brush the tears away. "Damn it," he whispered sheepishly. "I _knew_ I should have gone first."

Brian smiled in tender amusement at him. "Too late now, Sunshine," he murmured. "I'm not going to start over so you'll just have to deal with it." He reached up with his right hand to briefly cup his own around Justin's cheek for a second before he began anew, his voice rising so everyone could hear outside the gazebo. "Well, as I was saying….I guess you just have this way of making me look at things so differently and never pulling any punches. You always tell it like it is, whether I want to hear it or not." He smiled and took a deep breath, preparing to conclude with the sappiest part of his speech. He was SO not used to speaking like this, but then again, he was planning on never going through this again. This man was a keeper….

"Justin Taylor, you are beautiful inside and out; you're intelligent, passionate, and creative. You challenge me to be more than I ever thought I could be…and you're the best lay I've ever had." The audience could be heard snickering as Justin's face blushed and he pursed his lips together in amusement at the unorthodox compliment. Brian's voice softened as he finished. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

Justin sniffed louder as the tears began to fall anew. Once more, he reached up to quickly brush the tears away as Brian grinned back at him, knowing he had managed to get his own little sentimental twat all broken up with emotion. Perhaps he could get used to voicing these heartfelt words a little more often in public if it was going to get his soon-to-be husband all in a dither like it did right now….

"Justin," the minister said, turning to address the blond, "It's your turn now."

Justin nodded and let out a shaky breath, trying hard to compose himself. He had assumed he would have been more emotional as he tried to say his own vows to Brian, not the other way around. Obviously, though, Brian had surprised him; now he had to try and get through his _own_ words of love for this unpredictable, wonderful man without totally falling apart.

He took another breath, reaching over to take Brian's other hand in his once more and gaze into the intense, hazel eyes. Brian's eyes, which always seemed to captivate him, were wide and expressive; the gently-swaying water nearby magically reflected off the greenish-gold irises and emitted a virtual rainbow of colors as they stared into his own blue ones.

"Brian," he began softly. "In so many ways, it seems like only yesterday that we met, and then sometimes it seems like ages ago. When I first met you, I was this scared little boy – out in the big, bad city and looking to experience what I had never experienced before. Little did I know that when we met I would not only get that chance, but it would lead me to this unbelievable journey of discovery that I am still on today."

"Even though you and I had different motives when we met," Justin continued, grinning when he produced another snicker from the guests as well as a knowing smirk from Brian, "Even then, I could tell you weren't all brash arrogance. Maybe to everyone else, but not to me. You could still be a real pain in the ass at times – literally as well as figuratively," Justin quipped. "But there were times when you allowed the person you really were to show, at least with me. And when you did, I found that person even more intriguing. He was loyal to his friends, tender, and generous, as well as a loving father and partner. And that has always made me feel so special. It still does."

"Please, Sunshine, I have a reputation to uphold here," Brian retorted good-naturedly in mock horror as everyone chuckled once more.

Justin grinned. "It's almost over – I'm sure everyone will forget what I just said," he whispered to his fiancé, who peered back at him in amusement. "Where was I? Quit interrupting," he tenderly chided the brunet, who pulled his right hand away from Justin's long enough to do the _zip-across-the-lip_ routine before reaching more to take Justin's hand in his.

"Yeah….well, anyway, I just want you to know that I will always be grateful that it was you I met under that streetlight and that I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing whatever other adventures await us. And….I love you, too," he finished, sniffling once more at Brian's tender, bemused stare.

Justin took another deep breath, relieved that he had managed somehow to make it through his vows without becoming a total, blithering glob of emotional putty. Brian's mouth twisted at the expression on Justin's face as they finally released left hands and peered back at the minister to silently advise him they were finished with that part of the ceremony.

McClanahan nodded, saying, "May I have the rings, please?" He stood there for a few seconds, waiting for their delivery as everyone else did the same, but nothing happened at first. Justin's eyebrows rose as he looked at Brian, who shrugged. They finally looked behind Brian to where Gus was standing, fidgeting on his feet and still swinging the pillow back and forth while Daphne held tightly onto his hand. She finally nudged him in the side as he looked up at her questioningly. She leaned down briefly to whisper in his ear and he nodded, breaking their hold to reach inside his jacket pocket and produce the two, shiny gold emblems of his father and Justin's commitment to each other. "Here, Daddy," he said, walking the couple of steps over to his father and putting them in the brunet's upwardly-extended palm. "Jus'n gets one, too," he offered helpfully. "Can I go now?"

Brian laughed softly. "I'll make sure he does, Sonny Boy," he replied affectionately, taking his now-closed hand and briefly rubbing the top of Gus' head. He looked out into the audience, spying Mel and Lindsey. "Yeah, Buddy, there're your moms over there. Why don't you go join them, okay?"

Justin smiled at the little boy as Gus nodded and quickly scampered off, thrilled to finally be released from his confinement. As the boy hurriedly rushed over to sit down in Lindsey's lap, the two men turned once more to face the minister as Brian gave him his own ring to hold temporarily.

The minister nodded, saying, "Brian, would you please place the ring on Justin's finger and repeat after me?"

Brian took the smaller band and began to slide it onto Justin's left ring finger, cradling the slender hand in his other one as he gazed into his partner's wide blue eyes and expressive face, saying softly but firmly, "With this ring, I thee wed." He still couldn't help rolling his eyes a little at the archaic verbiage, but he had agreed to do it for Justin's sake. Justin grinned at his reaction, knowing exactly what he was no doubt thinking but loving him all the more for it. Brian finished his part by slowly sliding the ring down until it was firmly in place; he could feel Justin's hand trembling slightly before he gave it a slight squeeze of reassurance and released it.

The minister then turned to look at Justin, saying, "Justin, would you please place Brian's ring on his finger and repeat after me?" He gave the ring to Justin, who nodded. He was too choked up at the moment to even speak, but took another breath and let it out to help compose himself. Gazing up into Brian's eyes, he began to shakily slide the golden ring onto Brian's long, bronze-color finger and whisper, "With this ring," he began, taking another breath as if he could hardly believe this was really happening, "I thee wed." As he finished, Brian curled his fingers over the smaller hand and they both smiled – happy that they were both about to hear the words both of them had been looking forward to for a long time now.

For several seconds, no other sound could be heard except for the birds once more singing brilliantly and Emmett, who emitted a loud sniffle of emotion just then off to the side; Justin turned briefly to glance over at his friend and beam joyously at him before turning back to offer the same smile to Brian.

As the two continued to gaze at each other, the minister spoke up then, stating, "As much as Brian and Justin have professed their love in front of their friends and family, and have exchanged rings as a token of that love, by virtue of my powers under the State of West Virginia, I now pronounce that they are legally wed. Gentlemen, you may now kiss your husband."

The audience tittered, knowing that neither man needed any incentive to do just that. All the guests loudly applauded as Daphne and Michael smiled broadly in happiness for the newly-married couple; the broadest smiles of all, however, were reserved for the two men who had just become husbands as Brian quickly took hold of Justin's neck and pulled him up for a scorching kiss. As the two embraced tightly and continued their personal celebration for the next several seconds, someone in the audience shouted "get a room!" before the minister diplomatically cleared his throat to get their attention.

A few seconds later, the two reluctantly broke apart, Justin beaming sheepishly as Brian simply shrugged in response. Daphne reached over to hug Justin and then Brian in turn, wanting to be the first to congratulate them; Michael followed close behind as he, too, gave both of them a hug and a small kiss on the cheek. The minister uttered a polite, cordial "Congratulations" before motioning for them to lead the way.

Holding their hands once more, the now newlyweds began to walk back across the wooden bridge to the cheers and applause of everyone in attendance, even the security guards subtly ringing the ceremony venue. As they came to the end of the walkway and stepped a little to the side to allow the rest of their wedding party to exit, Brian leaned down into Justin's ear and whispered, "Well, you finally made an honest man out of me and my ball and chain is firmly in place. Happy?"

Justin turned to stare up into the grinning, loving face of his new husband and whispered, "Yes, I am."

Brian grinned back at him before admitting, "Me, too, Sunshine. Me, too."


	28. Prelude to the Reception

_Thirty Minutes Later – Post Ceremony_

As he scurried around the reception area to check on last-minute details, Emmett had to admit; as crazy as this past week had been, he was inordinately pleased with how both the wedding and reception venues had turned out. He could tell earlier from Justin's delighted expression that at least _one_ of the grooms had been thrilled with the results of his hard work; it was always easy to see how Justin was feeling simply by looking at his face and he had obviously been happy with the over-the-water gazebo idea and seating areas. Brian, naturally, had been a lot harder to read, but since the man hadn't sent any death glares toward his way so far, he had to conclude that Brian had at least been satisfied with the results as well. Of course, the fact that he was marrying Justin might have had something to do that as well.

He had rushed over here to the outdoor reception immediately after the ceremony was over to ensure that everything was on track. He had found for the most part that the staff he had temporarily hired had done their job well – the drinks were all fully stocked at the makeshift bar, complete with tons of ice, the massive sheets of the temporary, black, polished wooden dance floor had been locked together and were ready to handle a major thumpa-thumpa crowd, and the tables were already aglow candlelight centerpieces.

Befitting Brian's penchant for not doing anything in a frugal way and armed with the enormous budget he had placed at Emmett's command, Emmett had decided to utilize mainly a black, white, and red theme for the reception design. The round tables were set with charcoal gray linen tablecloths with matching white cotton napkins and crystal goblets. A large centerpiece of red carnations was placed in the middle of each table and a cluster of taper candles provided a warm glow throughout the open reception area. The top of the reception tent had been gathered into a dramatic sweeping knot and several flower balls of miniature red roses surrounded a large rectangular-shaped chandelier in the center of the room.

At the end of one side of the massive reception tent there was a live band set up for the dancing that would soon be commencing; the other end was furnished with casual seating areas of geometric-shaped, white and black couches and informal, curved chairs near the open bar to encourage mingling.

He smiled in satisfaction at the result; he felt confident that both grooms would be pleased. He noticed some of the guests beginning to filter in now, and he waved as he recognized a familiar face.

"Em, this looks unbelievable!" Ted praised him as he walked up with Blake and craned his neck upward to see the stunning ceiling. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was inside some kind of permanent building; I can't believe this is actually a tent!"

Blake nodded his agreement. "This is great, Emmett," he agreed, studying the lavishly-decorated tables and polished, black floor that resembled marble. "Incredible; you did a great job," he added in admiration.

Ted nodded as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think you've found your niche, Em – this is great, really great."

Emmett beamed at both men. "Thanks – it helps to have a rich groom, too," he quipped. He added softly, "I wanted to make sure Justin liked it especially. Our baby had a long way to go to get _this_ particular groom to the altar."

Ted grinned. "Yeah, he did, but he did it, didn't he? If I hadn't been here, I'm not sure I would have actually believed it. I guess persistence really _does_ pay off."

"Maybe," Blake observed; he was by no means an expert on either man, but perhaps being more of an outside to this odd but close-knit group, maybe his insight was more accurate and less colored than the others. "I'm sure it took a while for Brian to even think about the idea of getting married, but something tells me he wasn't protesting as much as you think about it." He looked at Ted and Emmett a little sheepishly over his boldness as they eyed him curiously. "I just think Justin wasn't the _only_ one that wanted it – those two were meant for each other." He had seen enough of the two together and had conducted enough counseling at the drug center to have a pretty good handle on human nature, and he just knew – these two were bonded in spirit and belonged together.

Emmett smiled. "Well, whatever caused Brian to come around, I'm glad for Justin's sake. That boy has been in love with Brian since the first day they met. If you ask me, though, Brian's getting the best out of this deal. He's finally realized what a prize he's got and he'd better hold onto him." He was very fond of Justin – the two of them were kindred spirits in a way – both creative, both sentimental, both emotional to the extreme at times. So he felt a particular affection for his young friend. He was so happy, then, that finally Justin had gotten his most fervent dream – marrying the man he loved. He would never say it out loud to the _other_ groom, but it was so….._yes, romantic._ _Way to go, Baby_, he thought, feeling a little teary-eyed at the moment.

Ted shook his head in amusement. "You're such a sentimental sap, Emmett Honeycutt," he gently chided his friend, reaching up to plant a small kiss on his cheek as Emmett sniffled. "But that's what I love about you, my friend."

Blake smiled tolerantly at the pair; he had long become accustomed to the unique closeness between the two men; he knew he was firmly in Ted's heart, so he wasn't worried by their affectionate interaction. Besides, Emmett was seriously involved with his old hometown friend, Calvin, who was milling around back by the bar area.

"Ready to go find a seat?" he heard Ted ask him as he smiled, taking his lower arm. Blake nodded as the two of them bid Emmett a quick goodbye and slowly walked back toward the rear of the tent to leave Em with any last-minute preparations before the main wedding party arrived. He glanced over at the band area, satisfied that the six musicians had all arrived and were presently going through a sound check. He _was_ a little concerned, though, that he hadn't seen the special musical "guest" he had set up for the two newlyweds. Deciding he'd better go in search of her, he rushed back toward the band area in search of his party just as the tent began to slowly fill up with the invited guests.

_

* * *

_

Same Time – Wedding Ceremony Area

Debbie and Jennifer observed their two respective "sons" standing in a small cluster of people near the lake, still accepting congratulations from well-wishers. Actually, Jennifer couldn't quite see Justin from their standpoint, except for an occasional mop of blond hair that popped into view from time to time. It didn't really matter, though; she knew her son had to be on cloud nine at the moment. Even if she couldn't have seen the radiant smile that had lit up his face at the moment the minister had pronounced him and Brian officially wed, she would known he was ecstatic about finally marrying Brian. And even more incredible than that, she knew Brian was feeling the same way, too….

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she heard Debbie saying, as she turned to smile at her knowingly and nod. "Who would have thought this would have ever happened even a few years ago? And now look – they're fucking _married_!" She felt the tears springing into her eyes for the second time – she had already teared up earlier as the two men had recited their own vows to each other. But she didn't care – she was just too happy. Silently, too, she was rather pleased with herself for being the first one to figure out that Brian really _had_ been in love with this blonde kid-turned-man.

Jennifer nodded as she smiled. "I'm so happy for _both _of them," she said sincerely, peering down at the small group of people still congregated around the two men. "It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?"

Debbie snorted. "That's an understatement. Between the first wedding being called off and then Brian's fucking father showing up out of nowhere, it's a miracle they even managed to go through with it at _all_." The redhead looked down in front of the seats where Brian's father and his partner were standing, apparently waiting for a moment to speak to his son and Justin. "What do you make of the good Senator, anyway? He sure _looks_ like his son, doesn't he?" She shook her head in amazement as she studied the elegant-looking, tall, handsome man standing a little self-consciously a few dozen feet away from his son. She could see him softly conversing with Tony, his partner. "Fucking incredible."

Jennifer gazed down at the almost identical, older version of her now son-in-law. "I'm not really sure, Debbie," she responded thoughtfully. "He _seems_ decent enough. And he seems to be making an honest attempt to get to know Brian better. That's certainly a lot more than what Brian's _adoptive_ parents ever did." Justin had told her enough horror stories about Jack and Joan Kinney, at least as much as he knew about them, to know that they had been absolutely horrible to Brian. It was no _wonder_ it had taken him longer than most men to realize what a good thing he and Justin had together – the man hadn't had much of a role model to follow.

Debbie continued to stare at the handsome Senator and his blond partner. She observed dryly, "Well, apparently father and son share a likeness for attractive blonds. That attorney he's involved with is fucking adorable, just like Sunshine. But, of course, he doesn't have the same smile, though."

Jennifer tore her gaze away from the couple to turn and seek out her son; at last, the crowd of well-wishers had thinned out enough that she could clearly see her son standing next to Brian, his hand around his new husband's waist as he beamed with joy. "No," she agreed, smiling at his look of overt happiness. "I don't think anyone will ever compare to that." She turned to face her friend and say, "Think we can fit in down there now? I'd like to tell them congratulations before they head over to the reception. It'll be so crazy there that I may _never _get a chance to talk to either one of them."

Debbie nodded. "I'm with you – let's go grab 'em before they take off on us. From what I heard, Emmett's really gone all out on their reception. I'm sure it'll be a fucking zoo there."

The crowd of people who had amassed to witness the ceremony was all now virtually gone; only a handful of guests remained. "I'm ready," Jennifer told her, eager to speak to her son and Brian. "Let's go."

Justin held onto Brian's waist as his husband shook hands with one of his biggest clients; he couldn't help grinning like an idiot as he indulged in secretly rubbing his fingers over the newly-acquired wedding band resting on his hand. _Husband_. He was still getting used to that word, although he imagined Brian was having even _more_ trouble getting used to it, he thought, smiling. It wasn't that he doubted that Brian was sorry he had gone through with it – they had been through so much by now and had discussed their goals and desires so many times at this point that he was sure Brian had married him freely and willingly – but he knew it was a huge step for his lover just the same.

"Thank you," he heard Brian saying graciously for perhaps the 10,000th time. "We'll see you at the reception." As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad the crowd of congratulators had finally petered out; he was getting a little tired standing still at this same spot and frankly, he was ready to start doing a little celebrating on the dance floor with the man he loved. He fidgeted just a little as he felt Brian softly squeeze his waist in response where his husband's hand was resting. He smirked, knowing that Brian was thinking the same thing he was thinking.

He was wondering how much longer they would have to stand there virtually cemented to their spot when he smiled at the sight of Brian's grandparents heading their way. "Brian," Justin said, grabbing his husband's lower arm and nodding his head toward the smartly-dressed couple approaching. He watched as Brian's face lit up in pleasure as Sean and Kathy came rushing up to them with big smiles on their faces.

"Brian!" his grandmother exclaimed, smiling broadly as she arrived; she immediately reached her hands up to place them on Brian's shoulders as he obligingly leaned down to accept a kiss on his cheek from her in greeting. "It was absolutely beautiful! Congratulations to both of you!" she cried in delight. Sean reached her side seconds later and held his hand out to his grandson, who grasped it firmly and smiled back at his and Gus' "fishing buddy."

"Let me echo what Kathy said," Sean told his grandson, smiling as he released his grip. "Congratulations to both of you." He turned to give Justin's hand a shake as well as Kathy reached over to place another kiss on Justin's cheek as well. "The ceremony was beautiful, even _with_ the mockingbird. In fact, I'll have to remember that little trick when another hawk shows up in our backyard again and wants to make a meal out of my goldfinches." Kathy laughed softly; her husband was an avid birdwatcher and was constantly trying to shoo away the red-tailed hawks that made a habit out of perching high above their birdfeeders much to his dismay. While her husband faithfully fed the songbirds in the backyard, the hawk in turn made a meal out of the songbirds.

Kathy added, "Speaking of which – your wedding planner did a magnificent job with the decorations and the gazebo – it was absolutely lovely."

Brian smiled. "Thanks – our _wedding planner_ is actually a friend of ours; Emmett. I'll introduce you to him at the reception." He glanced over at the carriages busily ferrying their guests over to the reception venue about a mile down the road. "Are you riding over with Justin and me to the reception? There's plenty of room."

She shook her head. "Thank you, but to be honest, we're kind of bushed after our drive down here and would love to find a nice, cushy seat somewhere." Brian and Justin laughed softly at her honesty as she added, "We're going to go on ahead and we'll meet up with you there later, okay?" Sean took her hand and squeezed it as she smiled back at her husband.

Brian smiled. "Of course – you know you're welcome to go lie down at the house, too, if you get tired," he told them graciously as Justin nodded in agreement.

Kathy looked a little sheepish as she hurriedly said, "Oh, no. We're fine – just a little tired. And we don't want to miss a second of your reception. If it's half as incredible as the wedding decorations were, I can't wait to see what your friend came up."

Brian and Justin smiled at each other. "That makes two of us," he told them. "We really haven't seen any of it ourselves, either – Emmett wanted it to be a surprise. Somehow, that scares the living crap out of me." At his grandparents' look of amused curiosity, he stated, "You'd have to know Emmett to realize why."

Justin chuckled as he nodded. "He's quite a character," he added in way of explanation. "But he's great, really – I can't wait to see what he's done." After what Emmett had accomplished with wedding site, he was chomping at the bit to find out what he had come up with for their reception. He was sure that it wouldn't be _too_ outrageous – at least not from a gaudy perspective in respect to Brian's wishes to keep it somewhat tasteful – but he knew it was bound to be spectacular, none the less.

Brian looked at the animated face of his husband – shit, what a weird-sounding word that was but he figured he would get used to it eventually, just like he had gotten used to having a certain persistent little twink around before – and had to smile at his enthusiasm. He turned back to his grandparents to say, "Well, we'll count on seeing you there, then."

Kathy and Sean nodded. "You can count on it, Honey. We'll see you in a little while, then." The couple nodded at both men before quietly turning and slowly heading off toward the direction of the waiting carriages.

Finally, after a few more minutes of handshaking, the last of the well-wishers had diminished considerately as they hurried over to the last of the wedding carriages to take them over to the reception area; it was only as the crowd departed that Justin realized Fin, Tony, his mom, and Debbie were still nearby. Brian's father and his partner were standing a little off to the side, apparently waiting to speak with them privately, while his mother and Debbie were scurrying down from their position up in the rows of seats to greet them. He smiled radiantly at his mother as she and Debbie came rushing over. "Mom!" he cried out, releasing Brian from his grasp so he could sweep his mother up into a bear hug of jubilation as she wrapped her slender hands around his waist and held onto him tightly.

They held onto each other for several seconds, both silently relishing this wonderful event and reflecting on how far the two of them had come since Justin's initial revelation to her that he was gay. In a way, it was amazing just how much their relationship had changed over the last several years, from one of a mother nurturing her young son to a more adult relationship, but one thing had _always_ remained: their deep love for each other.

"Honey! Congratulations! It was a beautiful wedding!" she exclaimed as the two of them pulled back to gaze into each other's eyes. Jennifer was so happy to see the glow on her son's face and the sparkle in his eyes; she didn't think she had ever seen him look happier or more at peace with himself and it almost made what he had gone through before disappear from her memory. At last, her son was finally getting some much-needed contentment in his life and she was so grateful for it. "Don't forget," she whispered to him. "I get a dance right after Brian."

Justin smiled. "Mom," he murmured good-naturedly, remembering from the last time that subject came up that she would not be taking no for an answer. "I promise," he told her, deciding that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

She nodded, pleased as she released her son then and turned to stare up into the amused eyes of her son-in-law, who smiled back at her impishly, his lips curling under in that trademark way. "And you," she said, reaching up to grasp Brian's head with her hands like he was some misbehaving little boy. "My _son-in-law_." She said it as if she couldn't still quite believe it, which was partly true. Oh, she knew he would go through with it – one thing about Brian, he always did what he said he was going to do – but she was still just a little astounded they at last the two of them had finally pulled it off. "That's going to take a little getting used to," she admitted a little facetiously.

Brian laughed softly. "Yeah, on _both_ our sides," he agreed, as Jennifer reached up and tenderly kissed him on the cheek before letting him go. "But I guess being called a _mother-in-law_, will, too," he pointed out, grinning as she chuckled in agreement.

He was going to ask her how she liked the ceremony when his circulation was almost cut off by Debbie grabbing him and pulling him roughly against her chest. She grunted as she threatened to squeeze the life out of him before just as abruptly releasing him to gaze up into his amused eyes. "You!" she stated. "You fucking did it!" she said in amazement. "You really went through with it!"

Justin grinned at the interaction between Debbie and Brian; Brian may have had a shit-hole of an adopted mother growing up, and may have sadly lost his real mother before he could ever get to know her, but that didn't mean he _still_ didn't have a mother.

Brian grinned as he looked down at the gleaming metal band on his left hand. "Well, it would appear so," he stated. "At least I appear to be dressed for the occasion, anyway." He appeared to consider a thought about something briefly before stating, "Maybe this is all just a dream – a drug-induced nightmare of some kind….."

"Ow!" he huffed out as he felt a sharp jab in his side and he looked down into the flashing blue eyes glaring at him in mock indignation. "Just kidding," he assured Justin as he grinned into his husband's eyes and Justin grudgingly returned the look with one of his own. "The ball and chain is still firmly attached, Princess."

Justin rolled his eyes and shook his head, thinking that he definitely preferred _Sunshine_ to "the ball and chain." But then again, if that's what it took to keep this man firmly by his side, he supposed he wouldn't be averse to utilizing that tactic, either…..

Debbie smiled as she turned to Justin and gave him a hug as well. She kissed him on the cheek, and then quickly rubbed his face with her red-lacquered fingernail to remove the large, matching red blotch that quickly appeared as Justin smiled back at her congenially. "Congratulations, Sunshine," she said in a surprisingly soft tone of voice. "I'm so happy for you." Her smile faded a little as she turned to stare back into Brian's face and pointed a finger at him. Shaking it, she sternly told him, "And you…..don't fuck this up, you got it? This man is the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Justin grinned widely as Brian nodded his head solemnly, his eyes twinkling. "Got it, Mother. Don't fuck it up – check," he repeated, pretending to jot that piece of advice down on an imaginary piece of paper he was holding in his palm. He smiled down at Justin and once more, wound his hand around the slender waist to pull him tighter by his side. "I won't, either," he vowed with unexpected sincerity as he gazed lovingly into Justin's eyes. Expecting some sort of snappy comeback instead, Justin flushed at the unexpectedly tender and serious tone in Brian's voice as he, too, slid his own arm back around Brian's waist in return and leaned into his taut frame.

Jennifer smiled in happiness over the two men staring unabashedly at each other with such love and devotion in their eyes; just for a few seconds, she thought about how much better it would have been if Justin's father had learned to love her son for the wonderful man he had become and had found a way to attend to wish them well. But she knew life wasn't always fair and the man would never change. This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of Justin's life; she was glad, then, that her hateful ex-husband hadn't attended.

"Well," she said, coming out of her ruminations as she glanced over to observe Tony and Fin waiting anxiously to speak to them; apparently, either Brian's father wanted to congratulate him alone, or he just didn't feel quite comfortable interrupting their conversation. She decided, though, that father and son needed some more time to get to know each other. Justin had already lost _his _father and she knew how upsetting that had been; she didn't want the same thing to happen to Brian.

"We'd better get going – we'll see you in a little while at the reception, okay?" She nodded slightly at Debbie, hoping she would get the hint that the two other man wanted some private time with the newlyweds.

Debbie glanced over at Brian's father and his partner, eyeing them carefully as if she were trying to determine their real motives for being there. She considered the fact that at least the senator had been thoughtful enough to provide security for the wedding; she supposed that was something. In her opinion, though, the man who had come seemingly out of nowhere would still have a long way to go before she was convinced that he had Brian's best interests at heart. She knew only too well how much heartache Brian had endured at the expense of his supposed parents; the last thing she wanted was for him to endure any more. For now, then, she wouldn't discourage them from getting to know each other, but at the same time, she resolved to keep a close eye on this virtual stranger.

"Debbie?" she heard Jennifer calling her out of her reverie. She turned and smiled at her slightly with a nod before giving the two newlyweds a last parting shot of "We'll see you boys later," and slowly walking away with her friend, stealing once last glance over at the two men tentatively approaching one of her "sons." _You'd better take good care of him, Senator_, she thought, just before she and Jennifer boarded the next available carriage and were slowly carried away.

_

* * *

_

Fifteen Minutes Earlier

The ceremony finally over with, Tony and Fin stood up among the sea of guests, waiting for their turn to exit their row of chairs. Tony, particularly, was astounded by how many guests had attended the event; there must have been hundreds of them lined on either side of the aisle as Brian and Justin had slowly made their way toward the gazebo where the ceremony actually took place and recited their heartfelt vows.

As Fin took his elbow from behind to gently steer him out into the aisle, he paused for a moment among the mass of people to gaze at the now-empty, white gazebo below. The entire scene that had been staged for the wedding vows had been absolutely breathtaking to him; the gazebo and multitude of white and pink flowers reflecting off the water around them was beautiful; and the newly-greened fields surrounding the lake were a dramatic contrast with the more vibrant, pastel colors that had been chosen for the theme. The entire effect wasn't totally masculine, he had to admit, but it was still quite classic and understated in an elegant sort of way. If he ever had a wedding, he mused, this was what he would want, too…He sighed at the thought, knowing the chances of that were about as great as him being appointed a justice to the Supreme Court…

"Tony?"

He turned somewhat startled at the sound of Fin calling him; when did they get to the middle of the aisle? He sheepishly looked up into the amused eyes of his partner and smiled a little self-consciously. "Were you saying something, Fin?" he asked.

The brunet smiled back at his sentimental partner affectionately; he knew _exactly_ what he had been thinking. And while he loved him deeply, and truly wished that he could somehow reassure him that they would be taking a trip down the aisle one day, too, he just couldn't do that – at least not yet. There were too many variables swirling around in his life right now.

He walked them over to a more out of the way location, near the back of the rows of chairs where they could have a little privacy, before gently placing his hands on the slender shoulders and turning the blond to face him. "Tony, you do know that I love you," he began softly; his steel-gray eyes earnestly peered into the soft blue ones as Tony looked back at him expectantly.

Tony sighed; he knew where this conversation was probably leading, and he couldn't quite say he was happy about it; resigned, but not happy. "Yes, I know," he stated simply. "And you know I love _you_, too." There was a silent additional word inherent in Fin's tone of voice as he waited for the predictable response. "But…"

Fin was the one who sighed softly now, knowing his brutal honesty was going to upset his sensitive partner.

"….but I can't marry you; at least not for the foreseeable future." He forced Tony's head back around with his hand as the blond tried to turn his head away; Fin hated the frustrated tears that almost sprung into the eyes instantly, and he hated that fact that it was _his _doing. He never _could_ stand it when Tony got this way, damn it…..

"Tony, this shouldn't be a great surprise to you," he maintained, his voice firm but gentle. He had never lied to Tony about what he could or couldn't do; except that, if he were honest, he _had_ lied about their relationship to everyone else, except until recently.

Tony looked down at the ground. Normally around anyone else, he was the confident, even occasionally brash attorney; with Fin, though, when it involved his heart, he became more of a shy, tentative little boy. Maybe it was because there was so much at stake. He finally took a ragged breath and gazed up to meet his partner's eyes evenly. "No," he admitted. "It's not."

He turned away from Fin then, breaking his hold with him to peer out onto the lake; just like Fin's horses always seemed to relax him, Tony had always found water to be his solace. "Just forget it." He knew he was being silly – he knew where Fin stood on this issue and why he had to take things slowly. After all, it had only been a short while ago that he had come out to the press. That had been a _huge _step for his partner, and he was grateful for that. It was just that sometimes, during times like these, he wished for more…

Fin looked over at the hunched shoulders of the man he loved and bit his lip in regret. He loved Tony unequivocally – he was undoubtedly his soul mate. If it meant so much, then, for he and Tony to get married, why couldn't he take that step just like his son had? Perhaps one day he could; but sadly, not now….Between trying hard to bond with his newly-found son, dealing with the press about his sexuality, and being in the planning stages of his gubernatorial bid, it was too much, too soon…..

Tony felt Fin's hands on his shoulders as the brunet stepped up behind him and nuzzled his head against his. He closed his eyes as Fin whispered, "I'm not discounting the idea all together," he promised his lover. "It's just with the campaign just now starting to gear up, and all the controversy that's already been generated by my press conference, it's just not a good….."

"…..time," Tony supplied. "I know, Fin," he said wearily. He sighed once more before turning in his partner's arms. "Believe me, I know only too well the game of politics. God knows I've seen enough of it play out in court." He shook his head in defeat, at least for the time being. "I understand – I don't like it, but I understand. And I'm willing to wait – for a while. Just don't make me wait too long." He didn't want it to come out as an ultimatum, but he _did_ want Fin to realize that having a commitment down on paper was important to him. Maybe it WAS just a piece of paper – a hetero document – but to him it represented the ultimate commitment, the outright declaration that his partner loved him enough to be faithful only to him and to let everyone else know it.

Fin studied the determined, resolute expression on Tony's beautiful face; he knew how important this symbol of love was to him. He _also _knew, however, that now was not the time and they would not be resolving this issue today…..He also realized, though, that one day in the not-so-distant future, they _would_ have to resolve it, one way or the other. "Okay," he told his lover. "But, Baby, let's not ruin this chance we have to be together out in public today," he pleaded. "I promise we'll discuss it some more at a later time, I swear. I just want us to enjoy what we have today and to celebrate my son's and Justin's wedding."

Tony nodded grudgingly; the last thing he wanted was to spoil Brian and Justin's wedding festivities. "I agree, I don't want anything to spoil it, either," he stated softly, turning to gaze with just a hint of envy at the two newlyweds presently being congratulated by Justin's mother and their somewhat crazy, red-headed friend, Debbie. "Why don't we go over and offer our _own_ congratulations before things get crazy at the reception?"

Fin stared at this amazing man who had somehow crazily chosen to actually love him, despite what he thought were numerous faults. He leaned down to bestow a brief kiss on the waiting lips before he whispered, "Come with me."

Tony smiled back at him wistfully as he accepted Fin's proffered hand and they walked over to the two newlyweds who were finally alone. Tony observed Justin's eyes sparkling with happiness as he and Brian gazed tenderly into each other's eyes, their attention on only each other before Brian leaned down to whisper something in Justin's ear, making him laugh softly. The two smiled radiantly at each other before Brian placed his hand at the back of Justin's neck and pulled him up for a deep kiss. Their lips were still locked together and they were totally oblivious to their presence until Fin finally coughed gingerly to get their attention.

The two younger men slowly broke apart as Brian turned to stare into the eyes of his father. "Fin," he greeted his father simply. The tenuous, invisible line of part congeniality and part suspicion still hung in the air between father and son, even now, as Fin stretched his hand to shake his son's. Brian hesitated for a few seconds before to both Justin's and Tony's relief, he clasped the other man's in his own.

"Just wanted to congratulate you and Justin on your wedding and wish you both the very best," Fin told his son. "It was a beautiful and unique ceremony."

Brian shook his father's hand a couple of seconds longer before releasing it. "Thanks," he replied politely. He, in turn, took Tony's hand and nodded. "Tony," he acknowledged him. Tony took his hand briefly and couldn't help noticing the gleaming, gold-colored wedding band now smugly wrapped around Brian's other hand; he bit back a small pang of envy as he turned to look at Justin, who smiled at him, his eyes sparkling.

The two men shook hands firmly. "Tony, I'm so glad you and Fin could attend," he told the other man warmly. He smiled over at Fin. "Fin, thank you for coming."

Fin couldn't help smiling back at the blond as he shook Justin's hand; he didn't know if it was because Justin had been instrumental in reuniting him with his son, if it was his courageous, persistent nature, or if it was simply because he reminded him so much of a younger version of Tony, but he really liked his new son-in-law; he shook his head at that thought – this was the first time he had even realized that was what Justin _was_ now – his son-in-law. "Thank _you_," he told Justin sincerely. "I appreciate you inviting us to attend. It means a lot to me." He gazed over at Brian, hoping that somehow he would understand how much this DID mean to him.

"We'd better get going, Justin, they're waiting for us," Brian abruptly interrupted them; somehow, all these warm-and-fuzzy feelings being bantered about by the other three men were making him uncomfortable.

Slightly embarrassed by Brian's brusqueness, Justin told the two men, "Yeah, we'd better go. You're welcome to ride over with us." He looked at Brian meaningfully with a sort of _be nice_ look before Brian eventually nodded. "Yeah, there's plenty of room. It's right over there," he said, indicating with an outstretched hand a more ornately-decorated carriage sitting nearby. He wasn't going to protest if they wanted to ride over with them, but then again, he wasn't exactly going to be profuse about it, either.

Fin glanced over at Tony hesitantly, unsure what to do. Tony, in turn, peered over at Justin, who smiled slightly in reassurance and nodded his encouragement. Tony turned to Fin, who also nodded in silent agreement before the blond told them, "That'd be great – thanks."

Brian took Justin's hand and, starting to move away, told them, "Let's go, then," before slowly beginning to walk over to the carriage.

"Well, that wasn't exactly a warm invitation," Fin observed somewhat disappointingly. He knew he and Brian would need time to develop a stronger, warmer relationship – if that was even possible – but it seemed his somewhat stubborn son wasn't exactly going to make it too easy on him, either. He sighed in exasperation. Maybe we'd better just go in one of the other carriages."

"No," Tony told him firmly, taking his lover's forearm. "Here's your chance for some more bonding time with your son. Don't waste it," he warned his partner, his blue eyes practically boring into his.

Fin twisted his mouth in part amusement and part aggravation; this man just knew him simply too well. "Yes, Counselor," he responded dutifully. He held up right hand up and recited, "I promise to use this opportunity to its best advantage and behave myself, so help me God."

Tony rolled his eyes. "God help me is right," he retorted before he twisted his face. "Now let's go before they leave us here. Something tells me I'm going to need a stiff drink before this night is over."

As Fin grabbed Tony's hand and began to pull him toward the carriage, he leaned in to whisper in the blond's face, "I'm going to need something _stiff_ later, too, Counselor, so don't over imbibe in the bubbly, got it?"

Tony's face flushed in anticipation as he turned to his partner and said, "Got it, Senator," before the two men swung themselves up into the carriage and waited with Brian and Justin for the horses to take off.

* * *

_A/N: I got carried away as usual with my chapter - LOL! So I had to break this up - I'm almost done with the next part - I hope to have it posted later today but wanted to give you what I had so far...hope you enjoy it and will stay tuned for the reception in the next chapter!:)_


	29. Wedding Reception  Part One

By the time the wedding had ended and the four men had arrived at the reception site located near the house, the sun had set behind a glorious palette of purples and pinks and the sky had morphed into a dark, star-studded backdrop.

Justin held onto Brian's hand tightly, eager to see what Emmett had created for their reception. From their vantage point, all he could see was the biggest tent he had ever seen, but it was not what one would think of when you hear the word "tent." This was not some drab, canvas-covered, pointy camping tent. This was a humongous, fabric-covered black and white extravaganza that more resembled some sultan's harem palace. As they torturously came to a stop near the tent – at least it seemed that way to Justin – he could barely wait for Tony and Fin to disembark in front of them.

Brian glanced over at his impatient husband, highly entertained by his barely-restrained enthusiasm. Justin stood up as soon as the carriage had stopped, still holding onto Brian's hand but giving him a barely-controlled look of exasperation as he tried to pull him upright. "Brian," he chided the other man. "What are you _waiting_ for?"

As Tony and Fin stood near the carriage, waiting for the newlyweds to join them, Brian quipped, "I'm waiting for a couple of beefy-looking fags to come up with my royal throne on slats to carry me in on their shoulders."

Justin snorted. "Well, you're going to be waiting a long time. Get your royal ass up and _walk _in – the old-fashioned way like the paupers do." He proceeded to yank on Brian's hand until Brian reluctantly stood up and glared at him.

"Lucky for you you've still got the ball and chain attached," he retorted, giving Justin a small shove. "After you, Princess."

Justin rolled his eyes but smiled back at him. "Oh, no, age before beauty," he quipped, laughing at Brian's look of indignation.

He watched as Brian swung his lean body down onto the ground agilely and promptly proceeded to walk away. "Hey!" he protested in disgust as he placed his hands on his hips from his place in the carriage. "Uh….I'm still up here, you know," he reminded the brunet.

Brian grinned as he finally turned back around and observed the insulted look on Justin's face. He laughed good-naturedly at the priceless look on Justin's visage before he walked back up to the carriage and silently held his hands out. Justin beamed at the chivalric gesture before, with a twinkle in his eye, he promptly jumped into Brian's waiting arms and laughed joyously as Brian unexpectedly spun him around a few times.

Their impromptu dance was observed by Brian's father and his partner, who couldn't help staring back at them enviously. Fin, noticing the wistful look on Tony's face, took his hand in his and gently squeezed it. The two shared a tender look between them before Tony nodded slightly and they turned to walk into the opulently-appointed tent, choosing to allow the guests of honor to enter by themselves. This day, after all, was for them; there would be time later, if not tonight, for father and son to get to know each other better…..

Emmett stood near the tent's main entrance, anxiously waiting for the two newlyweds to arrive. He needed to signal the MC to announce their first appearance as a married couple. He was stunned to notice Brian actually cradling Justin in his arms by his thighs, both of them spinning around with goofy-looking grins on their faces. He couldn't help smiling and tearing up just a little at the impromptu display of obvious affection. _Way to go, Baby…..way to go….._

Finally, after a few seconds, Brian gently placed Justin down on the ground and, taking him in his arms, the two kissed passionately for several seconds. He watched Brian's hands slowly rubbing large circles over Justin's slender back as their heads angled to deepen the kiss some more. He looked in awe and just a little envy at the heated passion between, yes, his two _friends_ even now, even after all these years. Their devotion and yearning for each other had not abated one bit since that day they had first met; in fact, it appeared to be stronger than ever. Emmett was happy himself; he and Calvin had a great thing going, but he wondered if he would ever feel as deeply for his lover the way that these two men continued to feel even now.

Finally, he noticed them breaking apart; Brian took a few seconds to gently brush back some of Justin's hair and the blond reached up to straighten Brian's suit lapels before, hand in hand, they slowly began to walk toward the tent. He quickly waved over to the MC who had been waiting for his signal. The dark-haired, thirtyish man wearing a black tuxedo with a white silk shirt and a black bowtie, nodded his understanding as he waited for Emmett to indicate it was time to introduce the newly-married couple.

"Em!" Justin cried out excitedly as he and Brian approached the tent. He ran into Emmett's waiting arms and gave him a fierce hug. "The wedding was wonderful! You did such a beautiful job!" he exclaimed as Emmett pulled back to look into his face. Justin's beaming smile and twinkling eyes told him how much he had loved his ideas.

"I'm so happy you liked it, Baby," Emmett told his friend warmly. "Congratulations," he said, looking over at Brian, too. "To the both of you," he said sincerely, smiling.

Brian actually clamped one hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "You did good, Emmy Lou." It was an odd compliment coming from most people, but from Brian, it was supreme praise.

Justin grinned knowingly back at Emmett, who actually teared up a little at the unexpected accolade. He sniffled just a little before brightening and saying to both men, "Well, if you liked the wedding, just wait until you get a load of what I did for the reception."

Justin began to push forward impatiently but Emmett stopped him. "Come on, Emmett, I want to _see_!" Justin said in anticipation; he could see some of the interior by now to know that the top of the tent was incredible – it was draped in flowing robes of black and white and almost looked like some sort of elegant circus tent. His artistic eye scanned as much as he could see, but the large sea of bodies prevented him from seeing very much.

"Hold up, Baby – we've got to do this right!" Em chided him. "You, too," he scolded Brian, who tried to slide between them while Justin was protesting. He was in search of a nice shot of Beam at the moment, but Emmett would have none of it as he grabbed Brian's arm just as he was about to escape.

"Stay," he commanded them like he was talking to a recalcitrant puppy. Brian rolled his eyes and Justin stood there fidgeting as Emmett waved his hand in a pre-arranged signal and suddenly a squeaking sound of feedback from the microphone could be heard.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the MC began to intone in a commanding voice, attracting everyone's attention sufficiently that the din of voices and clanking glasses quickly died down to a surprisingly conversational hearing level. "It is my distinct pleasure to be the first one to introduce to you the newlyweds and guests of honor – Justin Taylor-Kinney and Brian Kinney!"

"Fuck," Brian muttered; he had a _feeling _this was going to happen. Justin beamed in delight as the brunet shook his head, but he knew it was too late. He had actually married this sentimental twat – he might as well go all out, then, at least for this one night. Resigned to his fate, he took Justin's hand as they began to walk into the reception tent; the guests instinctively parted to allow them entrance as the place exploded into a raucous noise of applause, hoots, hollers, and clanking glasses of tribute.

Justin's eyes grew large as saucers and his mouth gaped open as he finally had a better chance to see what Emmett had done. It was almost too much to take in – it was everything he had hoped for in a reception, and so much more. It was breathtaking. The red carnations and red baby roses set up as hanging baskets and table centerpieces were dramatically contrasted with the stark black and white color theme of the fabric walls; a large, gnarled tree made of ice with crystals hanging down like vines was set up as a centerpiece in one corner of the room with white, porcelain candy dishes separately spelling out the word "L-O-V-E" nestled underneath. Matching crystal goblets were perched nearby to catch the ever-trickling champagne that flowed from the "tree's" waterfall located underneath its branches.

The shiny, polished black wooden floor was set up at one end of the reception area with a bandstand nearby; six tuxedoed men were warming up a live band while the MC tapped the microphone to test the volume level.

At the other end of the reception tent, there was a more informal seating area composed of matching black and white casual furniture surrounding a black leather-trimmed bar; several young male waiters wearing informal, open-neck long-sleeved white linen shirts and black leather pants roamed around the sitting area with round trays filled with drinks, scurrying about to serve the guests enjoying their favorite libations as they sat conversing with other guests.

At the sound of Brian and Justin's arrival, however, everyone stood up and cheered the newly-married couple as Brian smirked and Justin beamed in delight. As Emmett led the way to show them where they would sit, the two men acknowledged the smiling faces of their family and friends as they walked by, pausing occasionally to either hug somebody, shake their hand, or wave as they recognized several attendees. Finally, with a little urging on behalf of his husband, an astounded Justin finally was led over to the guest of honor area - a long, rectangular row of tables set along one side of the dance floor and facing another row of identical tables on the other side that held some of their closest friends and family. Brian and Justin both observed Debbie and Carl sitting on the end next to Jennifer and Tucker, who had arrived late after the ceremony; the rest of the space was occupied partly by Brian's grandparents, Kathy and Sean, and his father, flanked on his left by Tony.

Soon after sitting down, the two men were joined by their attendants, Michael and Daphne, who were flanked in turn by Ben and another man named Gabriel, who Daphne had recently started dating.

Brian chuckled as he noticed Gus sitting directly opposite them next to Lindsey and Mel; the little boy had apparently commandeered a small cocktail umbrella and was twirling it upside down on the table like a top. He watched as it went flying suddenly across the table and onto the dance floor. Moments later, a little, tousled, brunet head peeked under the skirted structure and wriggled out, army-style, to retrieve his makeshift toy. He gave his father a short wave before disappearing under the skirt and seconds later, returning to his seat at the table as if nothing had happened.

A loud clinking of a utensil against a champagne glass alerted the guests to another announcement. The din once more quieted down as expectantly, heads turned to peer at the MC once more. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been notified that dinner will be served shortly. But before it does, we are going to break with tradition just a bit and have the two newlyweds come out on the dance floor for their first dance together as husbands. Gentlemen?" he requested.

Justin looked at Brian a little uncomfortably, not sure how he would react to this hetero, Stepford Fag tradition; the two of them hadn't even discussed this part of the reception. Knowing Brian's reluctance to even participate in such "romantic clap trap," as Brian liked to put it, he wasn't sure if Brian would even agree to go along with the MC's instructions. But Brian actually seemed relatively calm about the idea, oddly enough.

As everyone looked at them curiously - some anticipating what they might dance to, and some even wondering if Brian would be talked into doing it at _all_ - Justin turned to him and whispered, " We don't have to, if you don't want to." Their wedding had been everything Justin had ever dreamed of, and this reception was indescribable in its beauty - he could do without a first dance with his new husband, even if he _was_ secretly yearning for it…..

But Brian amazingly stood up and extended his hand down to Justin. "And miss my chance to show them how it's done, Sunshine?" he chided the blond. "Who do you think picked the song out?"

Justin gazed up at him in astonishment; just when he thought he couldn't be more surprised by this day, he found out he had been wrong. Brian had not only agreed to a first dance with him - in front of everyone - but he had picked out the song _himself?_ Justin smiled up at him in stunned delight before it hit him - of course, any song Brian picked out had to be one of their favorite thumpa-thumpa songs from Babylon. He thought most people at a wedding might think that was odd for a first dance, but he didn't care if it was, as long as it was with Brian. And besides, anyone who knew Brian wouldn't think it was strange at all…..

He placed his hand in Brian's - the touch so comforting and warm - before he let his husband lead him over to the dance floor; the massive, rectangular-shaped hurricane chandelier overhead, and the multitude of candles clustered on each table, provided a soft, romantic glow to the entire room. As they reached the center of the floor, Brian nodded over at the MC to indicate they were ready before a well-known song began to play as all eyes turned to the strikingly attractive couple in each other's arms.

Only it wasn't a song that Justin would have guessed in a million years. It wasn't a song with a strong beat and a pulsating drum to accompany it, it wasn't a familiar tune they had danced to a million times at Babylon. It wasn't even played by the live band. Rather, the song was an old ballad begin played on the intercom system - one that was originally recorded a long time and had since become a classic. As the soft strains of a violin began to sing and the female singer began to croon a slow tune, Justin's heart soared at the outrageously-romantic lyrics:

_At last, my love has come along  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song_

As the music played, even though he still could not remember that night, somehow both Brian and Justin were transported back to that time so long ago when they danced as one; when their movements were magical, when it seemed like they were gliding on their feet. As Brian held him tenderly in his arms, Justin thought his heart would explode with happiness. He laughed with joy as Brian playfully dipped him in his arms and then pulled him back up to press him firmly against his chest before their lips came together in a searing kiss.

_Oh, yeah, at last  
The skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clovers  
The night I looked at you_

_I found a dream that I could speak to  
A dream that I can call my own  
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known_

From her perch in front of the dance floor, Daphne's eyes filled with tears of celebration for her friend, who had struggled for so long to arrive at this momentous day. She, too, couldn't help thinking about that night at the Prom; until tonight, it had only filled her with sadness over the way Justin had looked that night - how happy he had been before it all came horribly crashing down on them all. Now, though, as she saw the exuberant joy in her friend's face and the tender look in Brian's eyes as he twirled Justin around the room like a master, she couldn't help beaming at the picture of the two lovers in each others' arms, currently oblivious to everyone else in the crowded room.

_Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile  
Oh, and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
For you are mine  
At last…_

Finally, the dance ended as Brian curled his lips under and playfully hoisted Justin up into the air as he giggled; the brunet then slowly slid the slender body down against his until Justin's feet hit the ground and he swooped down to steal another passionate kiss from the breathless, flushed blond. As the crowd exploded with applause and whoops of approval, Brian and Justin held hands and gallantly took a bow before Brian led him quickly back over to their table.

As they sat down and the applause eventually died down, Justin turned to his husband whose hand he was still holding and whispered, his eyes watering with tears of happiness, "Brian…..That was….." His heart was so full, he was struggling to even come up with the right words, because at that moment, maybe there _weren't_ any words to properly express what he was feeling.

"Justin Taylor-Kinney," the other man said quietly. "If you ever so much as breathe a word that I was responsible for choosing that ridiculously-romantic ditty, I will change our honeymoon at the Ritz Carlton to one luxury suite for me and one roach-infested room at the Sleazy-Bag Motel for you."

He at least expected his comment to generate a huff of disbelief from the other man, since he was sure Justin knew he wouldn't dare go anywhere, especially a honeymoon, without having ready access at all times to his new husband's adorable, irresistible body for 24-hour-fucking marathons. But, instead, Justin just smiled at him almost…..dreamily. "You twat," Brian retorted. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Say it again," Justin said, smiling.

Brian frowned as he rolled his eyes in puzzlement. "Say _what_? That I think you're drunk on love, that you're a persistent, stubborn little twink that finally wore my defenses down?" he kidded the other man.

"No," Justin replied, smiling. "My name," he explained as Brian smiled back at him and shook his head in amusement. "It makes me horny as hell."

Brian leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Justin," he breathed in.

Justin shook his head.

"Sunshine," he tried again; once more, Justin shook his head, a small wisp of a smile on his face.

"Twat," Brian tried again, receiving a firmer shake of the blond head.

"Asshole," Justin shot back at him before Brian placed his hand on the back of Justin's neck and began to gently feather the soft, blond, longish hair he loved to play with, usually just before he was either going to kiss the man to within an inch of his life or just simply fuck him senseless.

He smiled smugly as he softly, sensually whispered in the delicate ear, "Justin Taylor-_Kinney_," and watched as the blond sighed and closed his eyes in heaven. "You're so easy," he added, snaking his free hand under the skirted table to grasp and squeeze Justin's cock through his pants. He grinned at the moan of pleasure that involuntarily escaped Justin's lips in response. "I'm going to take you back to the house tonight and fuck you all over the place, starting with the downstairs and working…my….way…_up_," he told his husband, whose dark pink lips were parted in a little "O" as small pants of breath escaped his perfect mouth.

Two plates of salad abruptly placed in front of them broke them both from their daydreaming, as Justin's eyes flew open at the sound and, clearing his throat, he subtly removed Brian's hand from his crotch as the brunet smirked back at his flushed face. As Justin stabbed a cherry tomato, his eyes filled with mischief as he waved the fork in front of Brian's face playfully.

"Justin, get that red orb of death out of my face," Brian growled as he warily watched the small, marble-sized globe teetering over his outfit. "Do you know how hard it is to get tomato stains out of silk shirts?"

Justin rolled his eyes before, to Brian's enormous relief, he finally veered the fork back toward himself and slowly opened his mouth to suck slightly on the cherry tomato before finally plopping it into his mouth with a smile. Brian watched the action in fascination, thinking that _Justin_ wasn't the only one quickly getting horny as hell…..

"Fucker," he whispered back to the blond, who simply raised his eyes and smiled back at him innocently before returning to his salad with enthusiasm; now that the two of them had finally tied the knot, he was finding that he was famished. A new husband he loved madly, a wildly romantic dance with him, all of his dearest friends and family around, and now the beginning of what would no doubt be a delicious gourmet meal…..he sighed loudly in pleasure at all the wonderful emotion of it all.

Brian chuckled slightly at his husband's reaction; he knew this one night might hold him in good stead for at least a month; Justin looked liked he had just won a multi-million dollar lottery. Well, he wouldn't tell Justin this, but he felt that way, too. Something told him Justin already knew that, anyway.

Thirty minutes later after the guests of honor and the remainder of the crowd had indulged in an extravagant feast of lobster tail and filet mignon, they unexpectedly heard a familiar voice coming over the intercom near the stage area.

"Hello, everybody! For those who don't know me," the man began, "My name is Emmett Honeycutt, and I'm your friendly, neighborhood, gay wedding planner," he announced cheerily, evoking a round of laughter from those that knew him. "And as you know, we are all here this evening to celebrate the union of Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor...oops, sorry, Baby - Justin Taylor_-Kinney."_ As a round of applause and whistles broke out, he continued in a theatrical tone of voice, "We now know that modern-day miracles still occur." As laughter drifted through the crowd, Emmett informed them, "In honor of this day we all never thought would actually occur unless the Earth opened up and swallowed him, I have a special surprise for the two grooms to encourage everyone to get out on the dance floor and get that_ thumpa-thumpa _going."

Justin turned to laugh at his husband, who merely rolled his eyes and shook his head good-naturedly in return. "A surprise from Emmett?" he asked. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that….sure we can't just skip the rest of this so we can go back to the house and fuck for the first time as husband and husband?"

Justin grinned. "Shh…..Nice try, Mr. Kinney. But no deal - I plan on this being my first AND last wedding, so I want to experience it all."

Brian groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that, Sunshine," he groused as Justin smiled. He reluctantly turned his attention back to their flamboyant, flashy friend as Emmett continued with his mysterious surprise.

"We're just about to get the dancing underway," he told everyone. "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, you're in for a special treat. Live….from Pittsburgh's biggest venues - at least the gay ones, anyway - give a big round of applause for our special mystery guest!" He raised both hands high up into the air as the light overhead dimmed the stage in shadows.

Justin watched, entranced over trying to guess just who the "mystery guest" was. This was such fun; he _had_ to find a chance to speak with Emmett later and let him know just how much he appreciated all the trouble his friend had gone through to ensure that his and Brian's wedding and reception were perfect, because that's just what it was…._perfect._ He turned to smile at Brian as he felt his hand slip into his; Brian couldn't help curling his lips under in amusement over Justin's _little-boy-on-Christmas-Day-look_ as the two of them watched the band area intently. The area just in front of the musicians had been darkened just enough to disguise the identity of a person – _man or woman?_ – who was standing in silhouette alone as the band began to play a song. As the music increased in tempo after several seconds, and the song began in earnest, the imposing light overhead slowly increased until the singer's identity was revealed. To Justin's utter delight, he immediately recognized him (or her, depending upon your perspective) – it was Shanda Leer, who paused for a few seconds in between verses to look over at Justin and blow him a kiss before he began to sing an upbeat, thumpa-thumpa version of Gloria Gaynor's classic tune "I Am What I Am." His old friend was dressed to the nines in a dark, maroon sequined dress, a long, black, Cher-like wig, matching silk maroon gloves that reached all the way up to his forearms, and matching sequined high-heels. Full makeup, including false eyelashes and burgundy lipstick, completed his ensemble.

As Justin's eyes lit up with excitement and his face broke out into a wide smile of delight, he, too, comically blew a kiss back at Shanda before Emmett came to the microphone long enough to say over the blare of the music, "Let's get this party started, boys and girls!" and the guests took their cue to enter the wooden dance floor en masse to follow his instructions.

Brian grinned over at his husband, whose eyes were aglow with joy. He stood up and reached his hand down, saying, "Let's go show 'em how it's really done, Sunshine." Justin laughed as, nodding, he quickly grabbed Brian's hand and let him lead them out to the dance floor. The guests obligingly parted to allow them the center of the room as they began their familiar gay thumpa-thumpa ballet; Brian placed his hands across Justin's shoulders and as their noses nudged each other, Justin wound his arms around Brian's waist.

* * *

Tony gazed wistfully at the gyrating crowd; Fin had gone in search of a refill for his drink a few minutes ago and had missed the entertaining entrance of the singer performing on the band's stage. He couldn't help sighing a little in envy as he watched Brian and Justin dancing together in the middle of the polished floor; the candlelight abundantly spaced out around the room and the chandelier overhead cast a spotlight on both their faces that were so radiant with their happiness.

Tony felt happy, too – happy that he had Fin. He was confident in Fin's love for him and they had worked hard to build a life together. But just once, he wished that there could be more…..

"Hey there, Hot Stuff," he heard a sexy, familiar voice nearby. "Want to trip the light fantastic?"

Tony glanced up into the light to see Fin standing there at the side of the table, his hand outstretched toward him. "Huh?" he said somewhat dumbly.

"Want to cut a rug, Counselor?"

"You mean…..?" He and Fin loved to dance, but they had never done it in public; Fin had always been too petrified that he would be recognized wherever they went and had refused to even consider going anywhere near a dance club or any bar that had a dance area. Was he really saying….? "You want to….?"

"Dance, Counselor," Fin said with amusement, a slight smile on his face; he had to speak up to be heard over the loudspeaker as Shanda continued her gay mantra and drums began to beat even louder. "It's called_ dance_." He remained rooted to Tony's side, his arm still held out to his partner in invitation.

"But you always told me…."

"I know," Fin acknowledged, as his face took on a more serious note. "But how often do we get this chance, Baby? I don't want to miss this. Come on," he pleaded softly, his eyes gazing at his partner's tenderly. "Maybe Cher up there will let you borrow her wig." His heart leapt at the stunned but joyous look on Tony's face as the blond laughed before reaching to place his smaller hand in his as Fin grasped it firmly. Placing his other hand chivalrously around the slender waist, he led his partner out to the dance floor.

* * *

Justin and Brian broke apart from their kiss; by now, they had perfected the art of dancing, eye-fucking and kissing all at the same time without even missing a beat. As Brian gazed back at his new husband affectionately, Justin saw a movement behind the brunet and his eyes widened slightly. "Brian," he said, tilting his head up to indicate he should look behind him. "Look who's dancing."

Brian twisted around enough in Justin's arms to observe his father and Tony dancing together, their arms wrapped around each other's waists as they gyrated quite nimbly to the disco-like beat of the music; they both had a look of contentment on their faces as they held audience with the fast-paced tempo. He observed them for a few seconds before turning back around to gaze at Justin.

The blond smiled at him. "Like father, like son," he commented as he watched Fin's eyes close in happiness as his body swayed to the beat, just like someone _else _he knew.

Brian snorted. "I'm a much better dancer, Sunshine – and better looking, too," he added, curling his lips under.

Justin smiled indulgently at him. "Won't get any argument out of me, Mr. Kinney," he agreed. He gazed into Brian's eyes before venturing to say, "Brian, you haven't exactly been overly cordial to Fin and Tony today. Any particular reason why?" His whole purpose in reuniting Fin with his husband had been to provide Brian with some loving support from his family; he had already received that from Kathy and Sean, thankfully, but for some reason Brian was still resisting according the same sort of respect and cordiality toward his father. He noticed Brian's face frowning a little in response as if he had touched a sore spot.

"Let's go find some Beam," Brian suddenly announced as he stopped his dancing and took Justin's hand to lead him from the dance floor. Justin slowly followed along behind him, realizing that once again Brian was choosing to evade the subject for some reason.

As they threaded their way through the crowd, occasionally accepting congratulatory wishes from various acquaintances and friends, the two finally reached the leather-clad bar and, after receiving two shots of Beam, they located a fairly secluded spot near the back corner of the tent. Justin took a seat on one of the rounded, white couches near a button-tufted, white leather partition next to Brian and quietly studied the complex man he had just married. For whatever reason, Brian was hesitant to discuss in depth his relationship with Fin, or perhaps more appropriately, his _lack_ of relationship. Well, Justin decided, if Brian knew him as well as he _thought_ he did, then he should also know that he wasn't going to let it drop.

"Brian," the blond began as his partner took a sip of his drink and stared out into the dark, inky night. "Why won't you give Fin a chance?"

Brian sighed; he knew this line of questioning was coming. "A chance to do what, Justin?"

Justin huffed slightly in annoyance. "You _know_ what. A chance to be a real father to you. Isn't that what you want?"

"Me….or you?"

"What kind of question is that, Brian? He's _your_ father."

Brian rubbed his hand through his hair. "Justin, it's our wedding day – do you really want to get into this now?"

Justin stared into his partner's eyes. "Brian," he said softly, reaching over to take one of his hands. "I'm not trying to argue with you. I only want what's best for you because I love you. Don't you want to have a better relationship with him?"

Brian sighed as he stared at his partner – his sweet, caring, hopelessly romantic partner. "Justin….I know you're hoping we'll wind up being golfing buddies or bond over season tickets to the Pirates games, but it doesn't happen like that in real life, Sunshine. I just can't become best buds with a man I hardly know. Hell, the man just came out a few days ago! Even HE doesn't really know who he is yet. If he doesn't know himself, how can he get to know _me_ then?"

Justin reached up with his free hand to tenderly touch Brian's cheek as he softly replied, "By opening the door and letting him in just a crack. I know it's going to be hard with you being in Pittsburgh and him being in Harrisburg – not to mention his campaign about to start. But Brian – I know what it's like not to have the love of a father. And I _also_ know what it's like to have his love – at least I _thought_ I did. Give him a chance to get to know you – and for you to get to know him." He stared into the skeptical hazel eyes. "I really think he's a decent man, Brian. After all, you're _his_ son. And you turned out pretty damn special." He smiled slightly at his husband as he waited a little anxiously for his reply. Would Brian be willing to discover what could be?

Brian glanced away, out at the darkness surrounding the exuberant sounds of celebration taking place inside the warmly-lit tent. The contrast wasn't lost on him as he pondered whether that was like him and his father – were they different as night or day, or were they actually more alike than he was willing to admit? It had taken him so long to open his heart willingly to this man sitting here holding his hand; the man he had married – now he couldn't imagine not having Justin by his side, and the feeling was incredible. It was strengthening, emboldening, even exhilarating in its intensity. Could he somehow open his heart just a little more to explore a closer bond with his father? Could he dare? Justin seemed to think so, and he trusted him completely.

He finally turned to glance back at his husband and squeeze his hand before standing up. Justin glanced up at him in disappointment before Brian gently tugged on his hand to encourage him to join him. Justin reluctantly rose to his feet as Brian said, "I need some more Beam."

Justin's heart sank until Brian added, "I think it's time we toast to a new relationship with good old Dad." He grinned as Justin's face lit up and he grabbed Brian around the neck to pull him down for a kiss.


	30. Breaking the Ice

"Attention, Everybody!" Emmett called into the microphone from the band's stage; he rapped against his champagne glass with his fork several times until the boisterous crowd finally died down. "Attention! It's time for a special dance!" he cried as he gave a small clap of encouragement. The crowd slowly filtered back to their places to in response to Emmett's announcement as they watched curiously from the sidelines; Brian and Justin, who had returned to their places of honor a few minutes ago, stood up and scooted their chairs out to walk behind the long row of tables and out onto the dance floor. They looked at each other and grinned before heading across the wooden dance floor toward the opposite row of tables holding their dearest friends and family.

As Justin walked over to Jennifer's seat, he smiled and bowed slightly before reaching his hand out to his mom to join him. She beamed at him, the tears coming to her eyes, as she stood up and walked around the back of the table to take his hand and follow her son out to the now vacant dance floor.

As the band commenced with a slow dance tune, Brian, who had followed closely behind Justin, came to stand in front of Debbie's seat and, lips curled under like a little boy, he turned his body to the side and melodramatically flipped his hand down to reach out to her.

Carl smiled at his girlfriend's look of astonished delight as she clasped her hand to her chest and her eyes, too, filled with tears of joy. "Come on, Mother," Brian said to her softly. "Time for your dance, too."

Eyes bright with happiness and a smile of pleasure on her face, Debbie stood up and walked around the table to join Brian as he gently took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. The flash of the photographer's camera was seen as several shots were taken of the special moment between the two newlyweds and their "moms" as they slowly swayed to the string-filled serenade.

Justin smoothly waltzed his mom around the dance floor as the guests smiled in enjoyment. "I see you haven't lost your touch, Honey," she whispered to her son as he smiled down at her. She pressed her cheek to his and placed one slim hand behind his neck as she softly admitted, "I was afraid you would forget your promise. You don't know how long I've been looking forward to this."

Justin laughed as he leaned back to stare into her eyes that mirrored his own. "Yes, I do – about as long as _I've_ been looking forward to it." He unexpectedly spun her around and gave her a small dip as she laughed in return.

"I guess you have," she said, nodding, as he pulled her gently back up. She glanced over at Debbie and Brian dancing nearby. "That was sweet of Brian to ask Debbie to dance with him."

Justin glanced over at the pair and smiled fondly. "He wouldn't have had it any other way, Mom – to Brian Debbie _is _his mother – always has been. Even if his real mother had still been alive, I'm sure it wouldn't have changed his feelings for her one bit."

As they continued to glide across the dance floor, Jennifer turned back to smile at her own son. "I owe a lot to her, you know," she admitted, gazing into her son's eyes which were so radiant with joy. "She took very good care of you when I couldn't." A slight glimmer of pain and regret flashed across her face briefly as she spoke, producing an immediate reaction from her son, whose smile faded just a bit at her change in demeanor.

"Mom," he chided her. "I don't blame you for what happened back then." He smiled at her tenderly. "I wasn't the _only_ one who had to deal with being gay – you did, too. And you handled it a hell of a lot better than my _father_ did."

She smiled back at him gratefully saying, "I'm just sorry it couldn't have turned out better, Honey."

"Mom…..Let's not let that spoil anything tonight, okay? I'm happy, Mom – really, really happy. We _all_ are, aren't we? That's all that matters now."

She shook her head a little in disbelief. "When did you turn out to be so mature, Justin Taylor?" she kidded him.

He smirked. "When I had to deal with that stubborn man over there," he told her, nodding his head in Brian's direction. "He forced me to – it was a survival technique. And, by the way – it's Justin Taylor-_Kinney_."

They both laughed as Justin twirled his mother around and they both refocused their attention on the here and now – what was really important.

* * *

Debbie watched Justin dip his mother before pulling her back up, just like a professional instructor with Arthur Murray. As Brian followed her gaze, she turned her attention back to him and told him flatly, "Don't even fucking think about it, buster – Jennifer may be limber but I have arthritis in my back."

He grinned at her like a little boy. "Now you've gone and spoiled my surprise – I was going to ask the band to play an up tempo number next so we could jitterbug."

She snorted. "Well, you can count me out," she groused good-naturedly, secretly delighting in her and Brian's spotlight dance. Just the thought that this man had singled her out for his mother-son dance thrilled her enormously. It seemed that Brian Kinney had come a long way in the past several years – and she knew a lot of that had to do with the blond dancing with his own mother at the moment.

Brian smiled as he surprised her by spinning her around briefly before recapturing her firmly in his arms and chuckling at her perturbed reaction.

"What'd I tell you about that fancy shit?" she warned him, not able to hide the smile from her face as her dancing partner curled his lips under and grinned back at her in response.

"Hey, you just said I couldn't dip you – you said nothing about spins," he reminded her. "I figure after all that time waiting on customers at the diner, you should be pretty nimble on your feet."

"Yeah, well my dogs aren't used to being nimble on high heels," she retorted, almost stumbling on her long gown in evidence as Brian deftly caught her before she took a tumble.

"See? I rest my case." She pointed out, as she gripped Brian's arms tightly for support.

Brian was enjoying this conversation and dance with his surrogate mother immensely as he replied, "Well, I'll steer you in Cassinelli's direction when we get done, then, just in case."

* * *

From their own seats at the special reserved tables, Fin and Tony watched the two new husbands dancing with their respective "mothers."

"That woman must mean a lot to Brian," Fin commented; even if he hadn't seen Brian seek her out for the grooms' mother-son dance, he would have been able to ascertain readily how much she apparently meant to him simply by the look on his face. He wistfully thought in silence about how nice it would be for Brian to feel that close to him, too….

"Stop it," he heard his partner say softly, reaching over to squeeze his hand under the table.

Fin turned to stare at Tony. "Stop what?"

Tony twisted his mouth. "Stop that _if only_ crap," he told him. "She's no doubt known him for ages now – you two have just met. Give it some time, Fin. I can see a chink in his armor already."

Fin grinned lopsidedly. "Oh, you can, can you?"

Tony nodded as he smiled back at him. "Yeah….I'm an attorney, remember? I make a living being able to read body language and listen between the lines. Your son is a stubborn son of a bitch – just like someone _else_ I know, in fact," he said, evoking a slight rolling of the eyes from the brunet. "But he did invite us here and he's got us sitting with the rest of his wedding party. You're impatient as well as stubborn, Senator. Give it time."

As Fin nodded silently at him and clasped his hand firmly in his, a possible idea as to how he might help father and son bond again came unbidden to Tony's mind. He decided, though, that now – in the midst of this rather boisterous, rowdy celebration occurring – was not the right time. He made a mental note that soon, though – very soon – he would broach the idea with his partner about his son.

* * *

As the music died down and the audience applauded in appreciation, Brian and Justin gallantly escorted their mothers back to their seats. Justin went in search of Emmett to express his appreciation over everything he had done for them, while another slow song started up, undoubtedly to be followed by another "thumpa-thumpa" tune for those in more of a partying mood.

Before that could happen, however, Brian walked over a few steps to stop in front of his maternal grandmother. "Sean, may I borrow my grandmother for this dance?" he asked politely as he held his hand out to the petite woman.

Kathy beamed back at him radiantly as Sean smiled and nodded, grateful that Brian was including them so prominently in his and Justin's big day. "I would be delighted," she agreed warmly, rising from her chair to walk around the table and join her grandson at the edge of the dance floor.

As some of the other couples joined in, Brian gently took his grandmother by the hand as they slowly walked out to the dance floor and he loosely clasped her tiny, wrinkled hand in his. "I'm glad you and Sean could be here today," he told her softly.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world, Honey," she told him firmly as he tenderly guided her around the wooden surface, tears glistening in her eyes. "It's almost like Lydia is here, too; I can actually feel her presence here." She gazed into her elegant grandson's eyes that were smiling back at her fondly as he slowly waltzed her around the dance floor. "She would be proud of you, Brian," she told him. "And she would have been thrilled to have a grandson, too." She glanced over at her precocious great grandson, who was currently performing his own type of dance with Lindsey; he wasn't quite as coordinated as his father, but he made up for it in enthusiasm as he rocked back and forth with his mother to a beat only he could hear in his head. "He's just precious."

"Thank you," Brian told her simply with a slightly choked voice full of pride. He swallowed the unexpected sentimental lump in his throat; his mind was awhirl with all the changes that had occurred in his life just in the past few months. Not only had he finally married an incredible man that he loved more deeply with every passing day, but he now had a legitimate family that actually cared about him for who – and what – he was. He knew he and his father had a lot of hurdles still to leap, but even he and Fin were becoming a little closer. At that moment, he couldn't think of a luckier man than himself as he and his grandmother continued their celebratory dance.

"Uh….May I cut in?" he heard a familiar, quiet voice saying behind him; Brian turned to observe his father standing somewhat awkwardly at his shoulder. Father and son stared at each other for a few seconds before Brian turned to silently ask his grandmother what she wanted to do. He wasn't sure just yet how cordial the two parties were; things had to be somewhat tense between his father and the parents of the woman he had impregnated and then moved away from. But Brian had enough decency inside him to realize that Fin didn't know at the time about her being pregnant; he couldn't really blame him for what he didn't know.

Kathy looked at Fin before turning to face her grandson with a small smile and a nod of acceptance. Brian nodded his understanding as he held his hand out to Fin to indicate he could take his place; he reached over to plant a small kiss on his grandmother's cheek.

"I'll see you later," he whispered to her; he gave her a soft smile before turning and heading back toward Justin and their reception table.

As Fin gently took her hands and they slowly resumed her dance, he smiled a little shyly. "You look beautiful tonight, Kathy," he told her sincerely, remembering that she always _had_ possessed an elegant fashion sense, even back when he had been dating Lydia. It seemed her sense of style had remained with her to this day; tonight she was clad in a two-piece, silk navy suit with a crisp, white blouse with lacy lapels and a small but tasteful string of pearls around her neck.

The older woman blushed at the compliment. "You always were a charmer, Fin," she stated with a hint of a smile. "The years have been good to you, too – you're as handsome as ever." She glanced over at the table where Tony was sitting and talking to the woman she recalled was Lindsey, her great grandson's mother. "Your partner is quite handsome, too," she noted as she turned to look into the steel-gray eyes she hadn't seen up close in such a long time. She noticed the look of anxiety etched on Fin's face. "You were worried I wouldn't be able to deal with you being gay?" she asked perceptively.

Fin's face actually flushed a little at her bluntness. "You want the truth?" As she nodded, he said, "Yes, I was. I mean, I got your daughter pregnant. That's a 180-degree turn from where I am now."

She nodded as he slowly glided her around the floor, his hand clasping her waist politely. She gave a slight laugh. "Yeah, I admit it took me a little while to wrap my head around that fact. Both Sean _and_ I. But I saw the press conference you gave and I've been watching you with your young man, and I can tell – you really love him; I can always see it in the eyes. I knew you were enamored with Lydia back in high school, but in love? No….I'm not sure most teenagers truly know what love is, much less who they really are."

They swayed slowly to the music for a few seconds in silence before she confessed softly, "I used to resent you for not being there when Lydia went through her pregnancy, even though logically I knew you weren't even aware of it. And I felt even more anger toward you for some reason when she died, almost as if I thought if you hadn't left maybe things would have been different and she might have still been alive today. But I know that's not realistic now – or healthy." She gazed into the remorseful-looking eyes before reassuring him, "I don't blame you, Fin, and while I don't really understand your lifestyle decision, I respect it just like I do my grandson's. And both Sean and I look at it this way – thanks at least indirectly to you, we now have a grandson and great grandson we didn't even know we had, and we couldn't be more delighted by that. So for that – I thank you."

Fin gazed down at this incredible woman and felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders. Between his upcoming campaign, his newly-divulged partnership with Tony, and his ever-changing relationship with his son, he had been feeling particularly weighted down lately. This petite, slight woman, however, had just managed to lighten it considerably. "No, Kathy," he whispered, smiling gratefully. "I thank _you_."

* * *

As Fin returned to his table after escorting Kathy back to her own seat, Tony glanced up and smiled at him. The brunet extended his hand out. "Let's dance some more, Counselor," he gently implored, staring into his partner's eyes with renewed appreciation and love. Tony beamed at the suggestion as he quickly placed his hand in his and they walked out to the floor to enjoy one more slow dance before the tempo would no doubt change to a different one.

"You look like you just won the governor's race already," Tony observed as Fin wrapped his hands around the slim waist and smiled warmly; their bodies swayed in perfect synchrony with each other as the romantic ballad continued to play.

"I feel that way right now," Fin told him sincerely, spinning Tony around suddenly and wrapping his hands more tightly around the other man's back to pull him even closer.

"I _would_ say it's because I agreed to dance with you, but something tells me that's not quite the entire reason," Tony teased him, pleased that his partner appeared to be quite content at the moment; so much had happened in their lives recently that it seemed like lately they spent almost all their time trying to put out one fire or another in either their personal or professional lives.

"Well, that's definitely part of it," the senator confirmed as he fondly gazed into the blue eyes. He sobered a little to reveal, "I just feel a lot better after talking to Kathy. I know it's silly, but I guess I still felt guilty about leaving Lydia when she was pregnant and taking so long to get to know my son."

Tony's eyes flashed out of loyalty to the man he loved. "Don't be ridiculous, Fin! How many times are we going to travel down your guilt trip? You didn't even _know_ the girl was pregnant at the time! And since Justin showed up to tell you about Brian, you've tried hard to patch things up with him! So don't go playing the 'woe-is-me' card tonight, okay? It's counterproductive and doesn't help _anything_."

"Whoa there, Counselor, let me finish!" Fin gently chided him as he gazed into the blazing eyes. "I was saying that I feel _better_ now that I've talked to her, because not only does she not blame me for anything, but she also is okay with you and me."

The words Fin had said finally began to gel as a subtle change came over the blue eyes and Tony said with some surprise, "She is?"

Fin nodded. "I still don't think she or Sean quite know what to make of our 'aberrant lifestyle' – my choice of words, not hers," he hastily assured his partner, who was about to utter a protest. "But she's still respectful of both mine and my son's decisions." He smirked at Tony as he admitted, "In fact, she thinks you're a keeper."

Tony blinked. "Uh – excuse me? A _keeper?"_

Fin grinned. "Well, her exact words were _your partner is quite handsome," _Fin divulged. "Just don't get a big head about it, though, okay?" At the mischievous look in his partner's eyes, he added, "And don't say…."

"…..I thought you already knew I have a big head," Tony completed, laughing at Fin's look of consternation. He laughed as Fin grinned back at him before unexpectedly bending him backward for a dip; as he pulled him back, he couldn't help impetuously planting a brief but deep kiss on the waiting lips as Tony relished in their brief respite from their normally turbulent, much-too-public lives.

* * *

As Brian walked back toward the guests of honor table, Emmett came rushing up to him with Justin at his heels. "I need you," he told Brian urgently.

Brian snorted. "Too late, Honeycutt, I'm already spoken for," he quipped as Justin grinned at the typical reply.

"Yeah, Em, it took me too long to snag him – I'm not throwing him back in the water for a while," Justin played along as Brian gave him a tongue-in-cheek look in return.

Emmett grinned in barely-controlled energy as he bounced up and down on his feet. "Okay, Baby, you can keep him, but I need you both temporarily for the cake cutting," he explained urgently, reaching over to take Brian's shirt cuff in an attempt to urge him along.

Brian gave him an astounded look as he managed to free himself from Emmett's clutches. "Cake cutting?"

"Brian," Emmett told him indulgently. "This is a _wedding_….They serve wedding cakes at a wedding."

Justin grinned; he was actually enjoying Brian squirming a little. Well, it appeared Mr. Kinney would just have to break his "no carbs after 7" rule this time. "What kind is it again, Em?" he asked innocently, even though he already knew. Brian had told him at the outset when they were first planning their wedding to just handle all the details regarding the food and drinks himself; so now he was planning on enjoying Brian's reaction to the million calories and carbs that were no doubt inside the cake he was about to be forced to ingest, at least a bite or two worth.

Emmett smiled, more than glad to play along; he had to speak up to be heard over the constantly-driven beat of the disco-type song that was now being played by the band. "Well, let's see, Sweetie, it's three layers: the bottom one is double German Chocolate with lots of gooey chocolate inside, the middle one is coconut crème, and the top one is black forest with oodles of cherries. Oh, and there's a fondant covering it all around the whole thing in a checkerboard pattern. And just wait until you see the cake topper! It's one of a kind!" he promised, clapping his hands and winking in glee as Brian looked at him like he had just heard his favorite cat had died; that is, if he had actually been a cat lover…

"Oh, joy," he quipped, as he stared at Justin's amused face; even though he realized he was no doubt the subject of a conspiracy between his wedding planner and the blond staring back at him so radiantly, he still found his heart doing flip flops at the sight of Justin's beautiful face that was filled with so much joy. "If I didn't know better, Sunshine, I'd say you're enjoying this," he accused the other man.

"I am," Justin promptly told him with no hint of shame, just before he burst out laughing at Brian's "aha" look. Justin couldn't help leaning up to quickly bestow a brief kiss on the brunet's lips as he whispered in his ear, "If you're a good boy, I'll let you fuck me later."

"That's supposed to be a big incentive?" Brian wondered. "I do that now already," he pointed out. His lips slowly spread into a grin, though, as he noticed Justin's insulted look. "All right, Sunshine," he acquiesced. "One fucking bite, though, that's all – and NO smashing the food in my face, got it?" He had been a witness to enough receptions where the two parties had turned serving the cake into something that more resembled a wrestling match, and he – and his expensive designer suit – wanted no part of it.

He _was_ a little disconcerted to observe Justin merely smiling back at him enigmatically and shrugging in response. His eyebrows narrowed in warning at his husband for a few seconds before Emmett urged them to get a move on; sighing in defeat, he placed a protective hand at the small of Justin's back as they slowly threaded their way through the crowd toward the band area.

A round of applause broke out as the two grooms appeared at the back of the room near the stage. Emmett walked over to the mike and tapped on it. "Attention, Boys and Girls! The new husbands are about to cut the cake! Everyone pay attention – Brian Kinney is about to break one of his cardinal rules!" he chirped as Brian rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Justin's eyes lit up as a rectangular-sized, white-skirted table was wheeled over from the refreshment area with their cake on it; this was the first time either man had laid eyes on the cake that Emmett had had consigned for them. The cake was a checked, black and white color to match the overall theme of the wedding with a simple, red fondant sash running around the sides and up to the top, where the unique, one-of-a-kind topper sat.

As Justin gazed at the topper, there could be absolutely no doubt that this was the only copy anywhere in the world. Brian came to stand next to his husband and smiled in recollection as he wrapped his arm around Justin's waist. He squeezed the slender body as Justin turned to smile back at him wistfully, tears glistening in his eyes, as he, too, slid his arm around Brian in remembrance.

On top of the cake were two figures, one tall and dark, the other blond and slender. They were standing on a street corner as the blond leaned against a streetlight and the brunet faced him, a look of intense fascination on his face. The likenesses between the two men and the figures on the cake were striking and extremely lifelike, even down to the clothing they were wearing.

"How in the world did Emmett know what we were wearing that night?" Justin marveled in amazement. "I'm not sure even I remember now," he admitted, although that had to be the _only_ part he couldn't really recall; every other detail, from his first sight of this incredibly-handsome man to Gus' birth to their making love later (at least that was what he persisted in calling it, even though Brian might disagree), was etched clearly in his mind now, and would be forever…..

Brian curled his lips under. "I remember," he admitted softly, receiving a look of incredulity from his husband. "Emmett asked me a few months ago – we were reminiscing and it just kind of came up in the conversation one day; I really didn't think much about it at the time. He didn't ask me about what _I_ had been wearing, but I guess it wouldn't have been too hard to make an educated guess about that."

Justin grinned, saying, "Yeah….black, black, and black." He turned to look at Brian skeptically. "Did you really remember what I had on or did you just take a lucky guess? You couldn't even remember my name at first."

Brian smiled. "Well, I may have temporarily forgotten your name in my drug-infused state, Mr. Taylor, but _no _one could have forgotten that horrid checked shirt and those sneakers you had on. I'm only grateful you had on button-fly jeans– made fucking you so much easier later," he whispered in Justin's ear, evoking a slight shiver in return. "Now let's get this over with, shall we? I seem to recall you promising me some other type of dessert later so I can work all these carbs off."

"That's _Taylor-Kinney_ to you, mister," Justin sternly reminded his husband, who put his hands up in capitulation as the blond smiled. He _loved_ the sound of that name…..

He turned to pick up a silver-colored, triangular-shaped pie server lying next to the cake and was about to slice into the bottom, German-chocolate layer of the dessert when he heard a loud "psst!" He turned to look at Emmett who advised him in a stage whisper, "You have to _both_ cut it at the same time or it's bad luck!"

Brian snorted. "Will I turn into a wrinkled old bachelor queer if I don't?"

Justin nudged him in the side in an attempt to make him behave. Brian's response was to roll his eyes again, but he shook his head in resignation and, removing his right hand from Justin's waist, he reached over and placed his hand on top of his husband's as several flashes from digital cameras went off to record the event. Slowly, the two men pressed down into the cake to begin slicing it. When they had a small sliver separated, Justin deftly removed the piece and placed it onto a nearby white china dessert plate before licking the icing off with his thumb and grinning.

He retrieved a stainless-steel fork nearby and cut a small square of the confection before, with a playful twinkle in his eye, he picked it up with his fingers and turned to dangle it in front of his husband's lips. "Open up, Mr. Kinney," he whispered, licking his lips in encouragement. He slowly moved in closer to the raspberry-colored mouth, waggling his eyebrows playfully as he continued to smile pertly.

"Justin….." Brian said in warning. "Don't you even _think_ about it." Brian had already gone through with marrying this man, including reciting some over-the-top romantic vows, and enduring their lesbionic first dance together – even though he was refusing to acknowledge that it was _his_ choice of song that had been played - but even _he_ had his limits.

"Then you'd better open up," Justin saucily told him. "You tell ME that all the time – turnabout's fair play – now it's _your _turn," he said, evoking some chuckles from the guests nearby that overheard his last comment.

Brian eyed him warily as the piece of cake came closer and closer until, at the last minute, he opened up his lips and Justin thankfully placed the carb-laden bite of cake slowly in his mouth instead of all over his face. Brian savored the taste of Justin's fingers on his lips before he eventually allowed the blond to withdraw them after a few seconds to the delight of the photographers who continued to snap shots of the two men as the guests close by clapped in appreciation.

Brian silently sighed in relief that at least Justin hadn't tried to smash the cake in his face as he turned to pick up another piece of the cake slice and repeat the same action for his husband. He smiled as Justin closed his eyes in pleasure at the first taste of the intensely-rich confection, savoring the sensual feel of Justin's lips sliding over his sticky fingers to clean them off before he pulled them from the pink lips. The two came together briefly for a frosting-laden kiss as they smiled at each other.

As soon as he had swallowed his bite of cake, Justin turned to face their guests. "Who's first?" he asked, holding out the cake cutter. No sooner had the words escaped his lips than Gus came rushing up between the legs of several guests. "My turn, Jus'n!" he shouted, hurrying to pick up a dessert plate and hold it out to the blond.

Both Brian and Justin laughed at the little boy's impatience as Justin obligingly sliced off a insanely-large piece and handed it to Gus, who immediately ran off triumphantly back to his table with his coveted prize.

One of the wait staff soon took over the task of serving the cake as the two grooms were permitted to walk back toward their table and the music started back up again for those guests still in a partying mood; the free-flowing liquor had proved to loosen up many of the guests who were beginning to gyrate boisterously now to the strong, pulsating beat of the music.

Brian spotted Michael and Ben among the dancers out on the wooden floor, and, taking Justin's hand, he approached his best friend and his husband. "Hey, Mikey," he called out as he once more took Justin in his arms and began to sway alongside his friend. "You and the professor having a good time?"

"Are you kidding?" Michael told him. "Any time we can get out of the house for an evening of free food and dancing without children is _always_ a good time." Hunter, who was in town for a few days, had volunteered to watch their daughter this evening so they and J.R.'s two mothers could attend the wedding. The boy who had endured so much before at the hands of his hateful mother had definitely matured; he was now in college and had been seriously dating a girl for the past six months that he had met there.

"Well, take advantage of it while you can, Mikey," he told his friend, smirking, as he suddenly grabbed a startled Justin and pulled him away. "Reality will sink in soon enough," he called out just before twirling Justin around the floor a few times to the blond's delight.

After a few minutes dancing, he cradled his head against his husbands. "I think I need a drink – and a little fucking with my favorite husband," he whispered huskily in his ear as he began to pull Justin toward the back area where the temporary bar had been set up.

Justin laughed. "You get a ring around your finger and suddenly you're a fucking cave man," he groused facetiously. "Well, at least I'm your _favorite_."

Brian waggled his eyebrows as they reached the bar. "And don't you forget it, Sunshine," he retorted as he held up two fingers to the bartender to indicate he wanted a couple of Beams. He had appeared so often back here by now that the bartender no doubt felt like they were old friends and didn't even have to ask which drink he wanted.

"Uh…..I'd like one of those caramel martinis, instead," Justin corrected the brunet, who looked at him in amusement.

"Caramel martini?" he asked.

Justin nodded. "It's something Emmett came up with just for our wedding," he told his husband as he accepted the tall glass from the bartender and held it up to Brian's face. "Here – try some."

Brian winkled his nose. "No, thanks – any drink with an ice cream topping in it is not a real drink."

"Oh, you mean it's not a _manly_ drink," Justin answered knowingly, as he pulled it back to his lips and took a sip of the frothy, brown and cream concoction. "Mmmm," he commented. "You don't know what you're missing, Brian…"

Brian snorted as he downed a shot of the amber whiskey. "Well, I guess I'll just have to be forever in the dark, then, Sunshine." He quickly finished the rest of his glass as he began to pull the blond away from the bar by grabbing his forearm. "Speaking of being in the dark, why don't you say we find a little secluded hideaway over there and practice our honeymoon technique?" Brian sensually whispered as he started tugging Justin farther away from the mingling crowd.

Justin giggled, deciding he was getting high on either alcohol or love – or maybe both. "Whatever you say, Hernando," he replied; he had just enough time to place the wide-mouthed glass down on a nearby side table before Brian scurried him away toward a darkened corner of the large bar area. The two men wound up behind a partition that was blissfully free of candlelight and was accommodatingly set up with a rounded, black leather couch and surrounded by several temporary dwarf maple trees situated in coal-black and cherry-red ceramic planters. With the setup Emmett had constructed, the corner was amazingly private, almost as if their friend had anticipated what they might want to use it for; perhaps he _had_…..

"And now I'd like to _raise_ a toast," Brian said as the two of them sat down next to each other, their thighs touching, on the roomy piece of furniture; he reached over and began to deftly unbutton Justin's pants to snake one skillful hand inside. His eyes widened a little as he felt nothing but hot, silky skin. "Justin Taylor-Kinney," he tsk-tsk'd. "_Commando_? You should be ashamed! What _were_ you thinking?"

Justin grinned as Brian gently pushed him down onto the couch to lie on top of him. "I was thinking I might get lucky tonight."

Brian stared into his partner's face; even in the subdued, indirect lighting, he could still see the gleam in the beautiful blue eyes staring back at him lovingly and it almost made his rapidly-beating heart stop in its intensity. He couldn't help the blatantly romantic words that escaped his lips almost uncontrollably. "You are so beautiful, Justin," he stated softly in a whisper…."And I love you so fucking much."

Justin's smile suddenly brightened by several watts, almost leading Brian to regret not spouting more examples of such endearments a lot sooner than he had. "Why, Mr. Kinney," he whispered as he reached up to cup the handsome, chiseled face. "Are you hoping you can fuck me just with some sweet talk?"

Brian smiled into his touch. "Yeah," he admitted. "Damn straight I am. Is it working?" he asked, his lips curled under as he waggled his eyebrows at his partner in invitation.

Justin laughed as the two men came together for a deep kiss. Their hands automatically wound around each other's bodies as they lost themselves in their embrace and completely blocked the rest of the world out of their minds for the next several minutes. Soft moans of pleasure escaped their lips as both men struggled to pull shirts out of pants and open them to feel warm flesh underneath before Brian moved to grasp Justin's waistband and begin pulling it down to expose his beautiful cock….

That is, until the sound of someone loudly clearing their voice was heard from behind them.

Brian sighed audibly as he collapsed momentarily against the lithe body beneath him. He had just been about to participate in some good, old-fashioned cock-sucking, too….. "Yes, Honeycutt?" he said wearily as Justin giggled at their friend's timing.

"Something _told_ me you might be back here," Emmett said cheerily as if they were playing Monopoly instead of about to rip off each other's clothes off and fuck each other senseless. "It's time for the toasts!" he announced brightly.

Brian groaned; hadn't the heartfelt, sappy wedding vows been enough? How much could his reputation take? "I was just about to do that, Emmy Lou!" he groused.

"Not _that_ kind of toast," Emmett growled in exasperation.

Brian huffed. "Is that really necessary?" he almost whined. "Couldn't they all just raise a glass together in our honor, say salute! and be done with it?"

Justin could hear Emmett let out an audible huff of indignation as he told Brian firmly, "No, we can't – this is a _wedding_, not a mass induction into the Armed Services! Now get his pants zipped back up and get your asses back out there!" And with that, their wedding planner turned around and hurriedly stomped back out toward the band area to wait for his guests of honor to follow his instructions.

Justin looked at Brian's pained expression and couldn't help bursting out laughing; he wasn't sure if Brian was more perturbed over being commanded to appear for their toasts, or having his fucking interrupted. "You heard the man," Justin scolded him. "Zip me up and let's go."

"Justin…"

"Brian," he heard sternly, knowing when he was licked – and not in a good way. He slowly raised himself up on his elbows before sitting up in defeat. "You are going to pay for this later, Justin," he told the blond sternly as he began to reluctantly begin straightening his clothing out and zipping his pants back up.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Justin replied facetiously, laughing at Brian's look of tortured frustration. He knew that any payback later would most definitely be of the deliciously-exquisite kind….. Buttoning up his shirt and pants in record time, he stood up to straighten out his suit jacket before extending a hand down to his husband. "Come on, Mr. Kinney – it'll be all over before you know it."

"It_ already_ was," Brian quipped disappointingly as he accepted Justin's hand and stood up. He grinned a little in resignation and leaned down to bestow a small but deep kiss on the waiting lips before, hand in hand, they once more threaded their way back toward their table.

Their MC of the night was once more at the band's microphone, clinking yet another tall, fluted glass against his fork to quiet the crowd down. Emmett smiled broadly, delighting in his role this evening as host for such an outlandish event. So far, he was enjoying every second of this particular event he had planned immensely, right down to being the constant interloper in Brian's plan to avoid whatever hetero tradition he – and Justin – were required to do. He had to admit, though, so far his friend had played along good-naturedly enough, albeit with just a hint of annoyance along the way.

"Everybody, grab a fresh drink!" he instructed the guests as the wait staff bustled around the crowd with trays of various libations to accommodate his request. "We're about to make some toasts to the happy couple! That is, when they get back to their seats," he added in a knowing stage whisper. Several in the crowd guffawed at that comment, for, knowing Brian and Justin, they knew _exactly_ where the two must have gone – and what they had been doing….

As they pushed their way through the crowd, Brian clasped Justin's hand firmly; there were so many people mingling around the dance area and the perimeter, it made it hard to navigate through the mass of bodies, even if they_ were_ the guests of honor.

"Shit," Brian muttered as at last they took their places at the main table. "And I thought it was crowded when Babylon held their _Perfect Pecs_ night." Justin grinned as they reached to accept a couple flutes of champagne from a nearby waiter. He smacked Brian on the arm as the brunet couldn't help giving the darkly-handsome man a scrutinizing gaze before he turned his eyes back to the blond. "Hey, just because I'm married now doesn't mean I still can't window shop," he quipped in his defense.

Justin retorted, "Just make sure you don't put one of them on _layaway_ afterward," before their attention was captured by Michael standing up nearby as, just like Emmett, he clinked the side of his water glass to get everyone's attention.

"Hey, Everybody!" he said. "I'd like to make the first toast to the newly-married couple," he announced as the crowd eventually died down to a more conversational level. As everyone gazed at him, he cleared his throat to begin.

"I'm sure a lot of people here – okay, maybe almost everybody here," he corrected himself, as the crowd laughed in anticipation of what he was about to say. "I'm sure most people here never thought they would see this day happen. And for a long time, I would have been among that group," he admitted easily enough as he gazed over at Brian and Justin nearby, who grinned. "Well, maybe hell has either frozen over or a creature has invaded my best friend's body, because here we are, celebrating a marriage that I never would have imagined happening."

As he looked at the amused but contented look on both men's faces, however, his voice softened just a bit as he added, "Well, whatever happened, I know one thing. My best friend is the happiest he's ever been. So Justin, whatever you did to change him, I know it was for the better, so for that…..I applaud you. And to Brian, all I can say is….welcome to the world of us Stepford Fags! Every queer boy's loss is our gain! To Brian and Justin – may you be as happy in the future as you are right now….." He picked up his champagne glass and raised it toward the two men as everyone else, including Brian and Justin, lifted their glasses also. He took a small sip as the other guests in the room followed suit and they burst into applause.

Shortly after Michael sat down, Justin grinned as Daphne stood up. "My turn now," she said loudly as the guests chuckled at her impatience. She turned to face her friend and Brian sitting a couple of seats down from her. "You know, I _should_ say that I'm as surprised as Michael by this event tonight…..but you know what? I'm really not. Oh, it's not because Brian hasn't been more of an ass over the past several years than Eddie Murphy was in Shrek," she quipped as the room burst out laughing and hooting at her comment.

She smiled, though, as she continued, "But you know what? There was never any question that Justin was in love with Brian…..I mean, I've never seen him more excited about someone in my entire life than the first day after they had met; after all, it's not every day you meet the 'face of God' as he so poetically described him the next morning, although I have a feeling he was acquainted with much more than his face at that point," she said as Justin blushed and covered his eyes briefly in embarrassment. The crowd, however, loved it as they laughed once more in response before she continued.

"But I've known Justin so long by now that I also know that he's not only incredibly talented as an artist, but he can also be persistent and stubborn as hell – two traits that no doubt came in handy when it came to wearing Brian down." Justin and Brian both grinned knowingly at her as she smiled in return before continuing. "Well I'm sure Brian would protest vehemently that he only married Justin to shut him up once and for all, but I happen to know otherwise." She smiled tenderly at _both_ her friends now as she said a little more softly, "I am so happy to be here tonight to celebrate your wedding. And I'm so happy that you both found each other that night, because you really do compliment each other so perfectly."

"So on behalf of this special occasion, I wrote a poem just for the two of you." She reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved a small, white, folded-piece of paper. Spreading it out in her hands, she told the couple, "I call it _A Twink Came A Runnin'." _The crowd burst out laughing as Justin once more covered his face in his hands and blushed as his best friend began to recite her literary "masterpiece:"

"A twink with eyes of blue, came runnin' after you.

He told me his name was Brian, of that he wasn't lyin'.

His ass was so a lit, that he could hardly sit.

He told about that night, how your loft was such a sight.

Wrecked by a circus clown who uppers he had downed.

But he couldn't stay away, you were such an incredible...uh, gay.

So many places he was taken, of your love for him he was not mistaken.

'til at last you came around, and issued the wonderful sound,

Sunshine, will you marry me? You can call me crazy,

But I realize it was my destiny, for you stole my heart from me."

Upon finishing, she grinned at both men and curtsied slightly as Brian rolled his eyes in amusement and Justin merely smiled brightly back at her; the crowd roared at the silliness of her poem.

Despite the total corniness of the prose, Justin couldn't help the tears that came to his eyes as she concluded her speech by saying softly, her voice choking up, "So here's to the both of you – may you always love each other as much as you do right now, and as the Irish say, may the wind always be at your back." She raised her champagne glass toward them and smiled as the guests did the same before both grooms lifted their own glasses to complete the toast. Before she sat down, she couldn't help walking the few steps over to their seats to hug both men and give each of them a kiss on the cheek.

As she did so, Brian quipped, "I'd simply _love_ to get that poetic masterpiece autographed and framed as our wedding present, Ms. Chanders."

She grinned at the brunet, saying, "I'll have it framed and hanging over the fireplace mantel in the parlor so it's the first thing you see when you get home from your honeymoon."

"Thanks, Daphne," Brian deadpanned as Justin grinned widely. "That should be the culmination of our trip."

Just before she started to return to her seat, she turned to her best friend and said, "I'm so happy for you, Justin," she whispered, giving him one more hug at his back before, sniffling just a little in happiness for him, she gave him one more quick squeeze of his shoulders before leaving.

"Well, let's hope that's the last of the accolades," Brian remarked as the crowd quieted expectantly, apparently waiting for the next toast. "I don't know if I stand any more intellectual dissertations."

Justin grinned at him. "Oh, I don't know….I'm kind of enjoying them, actually."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Well, you don't have to look so fucking smug about it, Sunshine." He sing-songed in falsetto, "What until I tell the grandkids - I roped in the great stud, Brian Kinney….."

Justin beamed as he placed his hand around Brian's neck and pulled him over for a brief kiss. "Well, I did, didn't I?" he whispered just before he nipped playfully at the bronzed chin.

Brian's face slowly broke out into a reluctant grin. "Yeah," he said softly, gazing into the sparkling blue eyes. "I guess you did."

* * *

From their positions nearby, Tony looked over at his partner intently.

"What?" Fin said.

"Well?" Tony responded as he raised his eyebrows.

"Well, what?" he asked

"Here's your chance, _Dad_," he told him pointedly.

The man who normally appeared unflappable and self-assured peered at him nervously. "Me? What would I _say_? I barely know him, Tony!"

Tony huffed. "Oh, please, when did you ever have a problem speaking? You're a politician, for God's sake! Do what you do best and make a damn toast to them!"

"But….."

"Shit, Fin! Here's a chance for you to start bonding with your _son_! Now get your ass up and do it!"

Fin glared back at him for a few seconds until he finally decided Tony was right – he would never have this opportunity again, even though the thought inexplicably scared the shit out of him. Would Brian even _want_ him to get up and publicly acknowledge that he was his father? Would he resent it instead of being appreciative of it? "Tony….I don't know," he admitted softly. "I'm not sure how he'll react."

"Well, you won't know unless you try, Senator," the blond told him firmly. "There's no manual when it comes to being a father, no matter how much experience you might or might not have."

Fin sighed. "I wish there was, though…...what do I know about a father, especially to an adult?"

He leaned over to squeeze Fin's lower arm. "You can do it," he told him encouragingly.

Fin inhaled a deep breath to try and gather up some more courage, a little surprised by how nervous he was feeling. Tony was normally right – any other time, the politician bravado that was practically inbred in him would rise to the surface and he would plunge in no matter who the audience was, and he would have no fears in doing it. So why did this practically terrify him? Perhaps it was because he realized this may very well be the most important speech he would ever give for the rest of his life.

Tony's eyes followed his partner as Fin finally rose to his feet and, like everyone else, banged a utensil against his glass to get everyone's attention. As the crowd looked his way curiously, he could feel every pair of eyes on him as he cleared his throat a little and said, "If it's all right with the two grooms, I'd like to make a toast, too."

He risked a look over at Brian, hoping that the response he received was a positive one. He held his breath for a heartbeat as his son stared into his eyes for a few seconds until he thought he saw just a glimmer of respect there. He took another deep breath and let it out softly as he noticed Brian answer him with just the slightest of nods; as he looked at Justin, the blond smiled at him and nodded a little more definitively to encourage him to continue. One more glance down at Tony, who was squeezing his hand beneath the table, and a tumble of heartfelt words appeared on his lips.

"Some of you may recognize me," he began to speak a little falteringly. "But if you do, I want you to know that I am speaking here tonight not as a politician, but as a _father_. I only recently became aware that I had a son," he confessed, glancing over at Brian, who was silently eyeing him intently. "And I admit, at first, I didn't really know what to think," he stated softly as the crowd listened to him raptly; the previous boisterous jubilation of before had quickly become replaced with a stunning silence as the guests listened avidly to this normally confident, well-spoken man who was strangely struggling to find the right words to say to his son.

"I not only had to come to terms with having a son, but having an _adult_ son, one who was successful and influential in his own right. Because of my career, at first I was hesitant to even acknowledge him," Fin admitted softly as Brian continued to stare at him, his face inscrutable as he listened intently. His father glanced over at Justin by his side; the blond once more nodded at him in silent support to keep going.

Deciding that Justin knew his son best of all, he took solace in his encouraging expression and forged on, hoping that somehow his son would know he was being sincere. "But now that I have gotten to know him a little better, I realize that I have missed out on a lot of opportunities to get to know an incredible man. Now, fortunately, I have the chance to rectify that. I hope he will _give _me that chance," he added softly.

Raising his voice just a little he concluded, "So without further ado, I would like to make a toast to my son, Brian and his new husband, Justin. I'd like to toast the two of you with an Irish quote: May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. Congratulations to the both of you!" He raised his champagne glass and looked at his son, waiting anxiously for his response.

To Fin's great relief, after a few seconds, Brian smiled slightly and raised his glass in acknowledgement as he and Justin clinked their glasses together and took a sip. The crowd raised their glasses, also, to take a small drink before the room slowly broke out into a smattering of applause that quickly became louder and more enthusiastic.

Fin slowly sat back down and let out an exhale of breath as Tony squeezed his thigh and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "You did good, Senator," he said, as he looked over at Brian. The brunet was eyeing them carefully, his face a neutral mask as usual. Silently, Tony wished that just once that Brian would open up a little more to his partner; he knew this had been difficult for both of them, but surely being a father himself, Brian could see how much this meant to Fin. He sighed.

"What?" Fin asked him softly, always able to pick up immediately on his partner's mood. "I thought you just said I did good."

Tony reached up to brush his hand against the other man's cheek. "You did," he confirmed fervently. He glanced over at Brian, who was now conversing with Justin. "I just wish that your son could see you the way I do."

Fin grinned. "Really? Are you sure about that?" he asked facetiously.

Tony smacked him lightly against his cheek before he dropped his hand to pick up his glass of champagne and take a sip. "Not _that _way, you asshole! I mean, I just wish he could see how much of a decent and kind person you are. How passionate you are about what you believe in, and how hard you work to attain your goals. You two are really not that different, in my opinion."

Fin sobered. "Yeah, maybe not." He looked once more over at his son somberly. "Well, I've tried, Tony. I think the rest is up to Brian now." It wasn't that he still didn't regret his initial reluctance to meet and become better acquainted with his son; that still bothered him. But he really had been trying since then to make amends; there was only so much he could do on his own, though – his son would have to meet him halfway for their relationship to really have a chance to work.

The clinking of one more glass sounded just then as the partners turned to observe the subject of their conversation standing up this time. Brian rattled his glass a few times before the crowd once more died down so he could be heard.

"The best has been saved for last," he announced regally as everyone laughed at his quip. "I may never get the last word in my marriage ever again, so I wanted to take advantage of it while I could." He looked down at Justin, who shook his head and twisted his lips in amusement. "First of all, I want to thank everyone for showing up for this momentous occasion that no one in their right mind ever thought would take place." There was a rumble through the crowd, indicating he had hit the proverbial nail on the head before he resumed speaking. "Well, they told me when I opened Kinnetik that I wouldn't last six months, either, and we're still there," he pointed out.

His employees let out a whoop of approval and clapped at the mention of their ad company, which was by and far the most successful one in Pittsburgh, gay or otherwise. "And those of you who know me, know that once I set my mind on something – or some_one_," he said, looking over at Justin. "I'm like a tenacious pit bull – I never give up. I guess that's one thing my new husband and I have in common…..among _other_ things." Justin blushed slightly at his statement, immediately reading into it exactly what Brian wanted him to.

"So if anyone here is looking for this marriage to go to pieces, you're going to be waiting a fu….uh, a _really_ long time. Because I have found the one man who can equal me and keep me looking forward to each new day to come." He reached down to take Justin's hand and pull him up against his body; as he slid his hand around Justin's waist and picked up his glass, he said as he looked at his husband, "So here's to you, Justin Taylor-Kinney – I'm so glad you came and never went."

Justin's eyes glistened as he raised his own glass and the two interlocked their arms to drink from each other's glass as the crowd erupted into cheers. The two then shared a kiss for several seconds before Brian whispered something into Justin's ear and the blond nodded. "Let's get this party back on the road!" Brian cried out as Emmett motioned toward the band and they started back up with a raucous tune.

As the pulsating music began to reverberate through the large room, Brian took Justin's hand and they threaded their way through the crowd over to his father's table.

Tony nudged his partner. "Fin," he said, nodding his head over toward Brian to indicate he was on his way over. Fin's pulse sped up a little as he saw his son approaching.

Brian and Justin walked up to the two men and sat down next to them in a couple of unoccupied chairs. Father and son stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Brian finally said almost shyly, "I'm….glad you and Tony were able to come today. And I appreciate the toast you gave us." Brian wouldn't have said it out loud, but he was impressed by his father's willingness to come out in public regarding their relationship; he knew if the information got leaked to the media, and he suspected that it would, his father would undoubtedly be hounded mercilessly throughout his upcoming campaign. He had a sneaking suspicion that might be about to happen to him, too, but for now, it was enough that his father was making the attempt to bond with him. He would deal with the blowout later if necessary. He stuck out his hand toward his father tentatively.

Tony and Justin shared a mutual look of comaraderie before Fin reached out and clasped his son's hand and gripped it firmly for several seconds before releasing it. "Thanks, Brian. I meant every word," he told him softly. "And I hope when you and Justin get back from your trip, you'll let me prove it to you."

Brian gazed at the face so much like his own for a few seconds before nodding silently and standing up. "Tony," he said in acknowledgement as he waited for Justin to join him and they walked away.

The two partners stared at each other for a few seconds before a smile broke out on Fin's face. "Tony, Baby, I think the ice has just been broken."

Tony grinned back at him. "I think you're right, Senator. And I think if you can win over _that_ constituent, you can win them _all _over."

As Fin gazed at his son's retreating back, he whispered softly, "I hope you're right, Tony. I hope you're right."

* * *

_A/N: Getting close to the conclusion at last! There will be at least one more chapter to be followed by a sequel so I hope you'll stay tuned!_


	31. Conclusion

_Reception - Ten P.M. _

Toasts, first dances, and the cake cutting over with, the party began to commence once more into full swing with renewed vigor; the live band was showing no signs of stopping any time soon as gay and straight couples alike, some with drinks in their hands, swayed intimately to the music.

From their vantage point in their seats near the dance floor, Tony and Fin watched the antics of the guests in amusement.

"Well, you can certainly tell the guests who have had way too much to drink from the sober ones," Tony observed dryly. "They're making total asses of themselves." He watched as one guest sloshed a nearly-full drink on his date; the woman, instead of recoiling in horror at his action, merely shrieked and giggled at the action as they danced on as if nothing was amiss.

Fin snorted. "Yeah, they'd better hope they don't have some sort of sobriety checkpoint set up outside the gate - I think the number of arrests could probably bankroll the whole city here - whatever the hell this city _is._"

Tony smiled as he played with Fin's hand clasped in his. "I don't think this area qualifies as a city, Senator. I think they have more cows and horses as residents around here than people."

Fin grinned over at him. "Yeah, you're probably right." He glanced over at the guests of honor table, noticing the two empty places. "Any idea where the newlyweds went to?" He had stopped on the way back to their table to grab a couple shots of Beam for him and Tony, and hadn't even noticed his son and Justin were gone.

Tony shook his head. "They were gone when I got back, too." He gazed at his partner's handsome face that was so like the son's. "I'm glad you and Brian had that talk," he said softly.

Fin squeezed his hand in response. "Yeah, me, too." Even he could see a definite thawing in Brian's previous demeanor. "But don't go reserving side-by-side burial plots just yet; it was just a polite conversation, nothing more." But he had to admit – it _had _been a definite improvement in their previous encounters and it _did_ promise a possible deepening of their relationship.

Tony winced at the choice of words. "I know, but it's still a start," he insisted. "Considering the two of you didn't know each other existed until a few weeks ago, I think it's pretty damn promising, especially in light of how stubborn _both_ of you are."

Fin peered over at him in amusement with his eyebrows raised. "Oh, we are, are we?" he asked, curling his lips under.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Well, duh," he answered impertinently. "I've got tons of circumstantial evidence piled up already." He began to tick the reasons off on each finger of his free hand. "Both don't want to reveal their true feelings, both too proud to make the first move, both too hung up on their image, both in love with the hottest blonds this side of…." His next spoken word wound up coming out as more of a muffled grunt as Fin promptly clamped a hand over his mouth and chuckled.

"Okay, Counselor, I get your point. You actually might have been winning your case until you rattled off that last item."

"Ha, ha," Tony responded in mock indignation. "Well, if you feel that way, I saw some really sexy-looking waiters over at the bar…." He began to stand up but was promptly pulled back down into his seat with a distinct _oomph_.

"I don't think so," Fin answered, surprised that his voice actually sounded jealous even to his _own_ ears; he knew Tony was kidding, but even the possibility of his lover pursuing someone else made his heart beat a little faster in trepidation. The thought of just how much this man meant to him still filled him with a little bit of unease and also fear; now, not only had he opened his heart irretrievably to his partner, but he was expected to open up to a son and grandson he barely knew. It was exciting in a way, but also scary as hell.

"Fin?"

He turned, a little startled at the sound of his partner's voice. "What?" he answered a little absentmindedly.

Tony smiled at him, perhaps with just a hint of smugness. "Really had you scared there, huh? That was the third time I called your name - you totally zoned out at the thought of my leaving you." He beamed and his blue eyes shone as he stated rather arrogantly, "I still got it."

Fin huffed and shook his head, having to speak a little louder now as a booming, pulsating, up-tempo dance tune began to play. "Don't get cocky," he said as Tony started to open his mouth. "And don't even say it," he warned, afraid that Tony was going to respond with yet another sex joke.

Tony made a zipping motion across his lips as his eyes twinkled; he was really enjoying this evening, for a number of reasons. "I think I'm going to get another piece of the wedding cake before it's all gone," he suddenly decided. "I think I saw one of those hot waiters helping to serve it, too…"

Fin rolled his eyes again as he stood up. "Where do you put it all?" he groused as he placed his hand across the small of Tony's slender back and they began to thread their way slowly through the mass of bodies on the dance floor and surrounding area.

Tony smiled, relishing the almost possessive feel of Fin's hand lying on his skin; he could feel the warmth resting there, even through his shirt, and as always it filled him with the anticipation of what would come later. "You always seem to provide a rigorous workout at home so I can keep my metabolism up," he whispered huskily in the brunet's ear.

Fin smiled. "Yeah…..it's my favorite kind of _pushup_," he countered as Tony shivered at the thought.

Just as they neared the remnants of the wedding cake, a sudden flash nearby temporarily blinded the blond as Tony turned to glare icily at the would-be publicity hound. "I can't believe how rude people can be!" he said, speaking intentionally loud enough to be overheard by the perpetrator. "You would think a guest would have more _manners_." The person in question, a dark-haired, middle-aged man dressed in the latest, most expensive Armani fashion, quickly flipped his high-tech phone shut and scurried away as Fin pulled his partner into his embrace from behind and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Shh….let it go, Tony," he whispered. "It comes with the territory."

Tony turned in his partner's embrace with his eyes flashing. "Well, I still think it's fucking rude. I mean, for God's sake - it's your son's _wedding_! Can't they let you have any privacy during a family celebration? These are supposed to be guests - friends and business clients - of your son and Justin! I can't believe these people!"

Fin gazed at his fiery partner tenderly as he reached to brush a misbehaving strand of hair out of the blue eyes. "Tony, Baby, you know this is going to be ongoing now until the governor's race is over. I'm considered a celebrity, whether I like it or not. And now that I've officially come out, it's only going to get worse."

Tony deftly dodged a guest walking behind him by turning to the side briefly to let him pass before answering, "You're not the first politician's who's acknowledged he's gay. It's not such a big deal anymore."

Fin looked at him skeptically. "Come on, Tony! It may not be so unusual now, but it's still not the norm. Even if I _wasn't_ gay, just the fact that I'm running for governor is going to involve me being in the public spotlight for months to come. And if I _should_ be victorious…"

"You mean _when_," Tony firmly corrected him, his hands on his hips.

Fin smiled at the other man's conviction. "Okay, _when _I'm victorious…it just may get worse." He gazed into his partner's eyes. "I mean, just think what a firestorm will be generated when the first gay governor of Pennsylvania moves into the official gubernatorial residence with his partner."

Tony smiled. "You mean….?"

Fin huffed out a sound of disbelief. "Do you really think after all this time I _wouldn't_? Tony….we've already been through enough turmoil in our lives and our relationship recently. I'm not going anywhere unless you're with me." He smirked. "Although, now that I know your penchant for hot waiters, I guess I'll have to assign one of my bodyguards to make sure you don't interact too closely with any of the wait staff there. I can just see it now - my partner goes down to the kitchen for a late night raid on a BLT and winds up fucking one of the waiters in the walk-in pantry for his midnight snack instead."

Tony smacked him in the arm, but his face was aglow with Fin's heartfelt declaration. How far they had come in such a short time; it gave him renewed hope that his lover and his son could yet become closer, also.

Feeling just a little uncomfortable with how intense their conversation had suddenly become, Fin suggested, "Let's go get that piece of cake before it's all gone. I feel a need for some extensive exercise later."

Tony smiled as he took Fin's arm and they walked the few feet over to stare at what remained of the three-tiered cake. The entire top two parts were gone, leaving only part of the bottom layer remaining.

"Well, you can have either double German chocolate cake, or double German chocolate cake….which one do you prefer?" Fin asked solemnly as he turned to gaze impishly at his partner.

Tony pretended to seriously study that question before replying, "Uh, I think I'll have the double German chocolate cake - I'm watching my figure." Tony blushed a little as he looked over at a nearby, bare-chested, dark-haired, olive-skinned waiter who was dressed in a black pair of tux pants, matching black suspenders, and a white bow tie who was openly admiring his Nordic good looks.

Fin observed the interaction and felt the familiar, but somewhat unwelcome pangs of jealousy as he decided he would prefer to serve his partner the cake himself. Fixing the waiter with a steely-eyed glare of propriety first, he reached over to retrieve a nearby dessert plate and slid the cake server under a large, cut piece to place it on the china. As he handed the plate to his partner, he murmured huskily, "You're not the _only_ one watching your figure. But he can just take a fucking hike somewhere else. I got here first and I have no intention of sharing."

Tony flushed with pleasure at the intense look as his insides warmed over his partner's words. "You keep saying things like that and we'll have to find a place to work out here," the blond warned him, feeling a sudden, uncomfortable pressure in his crotch at the sexy tone of his partner's voice.

"Wouldn't get any resistance from me," Fin leaned in to whisper promptly.

The hot breath washing over his face made Tony shiver in pleasure; he knew that tone of voice, and he knew what that meant for later. A full-out, mind-blowing fucking session followed by a more tender, lovemaking interlude. He wasn't complaining, though…..

"I think it might be about time for us to say adieu," he suddenly decided, stabbing a large bite of the cake with his fork and hurriedly cramming it into his mouth to hurry things along.

Fin laughed. "Only you would still make time to eat after that statement," he teased, smiling.

Tony smiled back at him sheepishly when he noticed his partner's gaze being directed behind him and his expression changed just a little; he thought he saw just a hint of anxiety as he turned to see Brian walking up with his son. The little, brown-haired boy was holding tightly onto his father's hand as they approached.

As they stopped to stand directly in front of them, Gus hid behind his father's leg and peered out to stare at the two other men warily.

Brian smiled down tenderly at the miniature version of himself. "Gus, it's okay," he gently told the little boy as he placed his hand around his son's shoulder and cradled him gently against his side. "You remember Fin and Tony from before, don't you? Remember the day we had the cookout?"

Fin watched the little boy nod shyly, a long index finger stuck partially in his mouth as he bit on it nervously. The boy's curiosity prevailed over his initial nervousness, though, as he pulled his finger out of his mouth long enough to gaze up at his father and whisper, "Is he really my grandpa, Daddy?"

Brian looked over into his own father's eyes to explain, "He heard you calling me your son earlier and was confused." He smiled down at the little face peering up at him. "Of course, I had to explain to him exactly what a toast was - the only toast he knew about was the bread he always wants me to slather with peanut butter and bananas for breakfast."

"You're kidding!" Tony could help blurting out. "That's what Fin usually has for breakfast, too."

"Tony," Fin chided him softly in embarrassment as Brian looked over in amusement. "Please."

"Well, it's true," Tony maintained; he couldn't help smiling over at Brian, who found himself returning the expression.

"See, Gus?" he told his son, looking down at his little boy. "You and your grandfather already have something in common." He placed both of his hands on top of the boy's shoulders and gave him just a slight nudge forward to lean him against the front of his legs. "Can you say hello to your grandfather?" he requested softly.

Fin squatted down on his knees to stare into the wide-eyed little boy face-to-face. He smiled reassuringly at him as he stuck his hand out. "I'm very pleased to officially meet you, Gus," he said politely. "We peanut butter and banana eaters have to stick together, don't we?"

He waited a little anxiously as Gus eyed him warily before, finally, the little boy tentatively reached his small hand out to touch Fin's. Fin lightly clasped the little hand and marveled at the softness before he gently shook it up and down a few times before releasing it. "I'm very glad to have a grandson, Gus," he said, his voice inexplicably choking up to his surprise. "Maybe we can ride my horses together sometime - would you like that?"

To his delight and relief, the little boy's chocolate-brown eyes lit up and he smiled as he nodded.

"Gus likes to ride with me here at Britin," Brian explained to his father as the older looked up at him. "He loves horses, but he's still in the learning stage on how to ride them properly."

Fin stood up as he nodded, peering down at his grandson. "That's very important, Gus," he told the little boy. "You have to know how to control them so they don't get away from you." He turned to stare into his son's eyes to say, "Tony and I have a couple of ponies at the house that would be ideal for him to learn to ride on - they're completely broken and very gentle." He held his breath for a moment before he plunged in with his suggestion. "Maybe you and Gus could visit sometime and he could ride one of them."

Brian stared intently into his eyes before gazing down at the excited face of his son; he could tell Gus wanted to do that very badly; he loved horses so much, but the ones here at Britin were so much taller than he was, it normally intimidated him, and frankly, it always worried him that Gus would fall off and injure himself. Swallowing his pride a little, Brian finally nodded. "Would you like that, Sonny Boy?" he asked his son. As Gus nodded eagerly and smiled, Brian turned to look at his father and said humbly, "Thanks. We'll take you up on that some time."

Fin nodded, hiding a slight twinge of disappointment over not receiving a definite commitment; but as he stole a quick glance over at Tony, he could almost read his thoughts: _It's a start, Fin….it's a start... _

"Good," he said, nodding. "I'll look forward to it; maybe after your honeymoon."

"Daddy, what's a honeymoon?" Gus asked his father curiously, gazing up into the amused hazel eyes.

Brian glanced over at his father and Tony before saying softly, "Justin and I are going on a little vacation after our party tonight."

"Can I go, too?" Gus asked eagerly; he always enjoyed taking trips with his mommies and he loved being with his father and Justin. He always had so much fun here at Britin whenever he visited - a trip with his father and Justin sounded like a grand idea.

He was disappointed, however, when Brian smiled down at him tenderly before scooping him up into his arms and murmuring, "Not this time, Buddy, this is a trip just for grownups." As Gus' lower lip stuck out into a pout, he said, "We'll plan on taking another trip soon, though, I promise," he said fervently. "And Justin and I will bring something back for you this time so we can tell you all about our trip, okay?"

As the little boy reluctantly nodded at last, Brian added, "And we'll go over to your grandfather's to take that pony ride when we get back. How's that sound?" He looked over at his father, who smiled in pleasure.

"Okay, Daddy," Gus said a little more agreeably as he thought about his impending pony ride. His mouth opened suddenly as a wide yawn broke out across his face.

"I think it's past someone's bedtime," Brian murmured gently as Gus snuggled his head into his chest. "Let's go find one of your mothers and get you to bed, okay, Buddy?" He leaned down to plant a kiss on top of the brunet head and wrap his hands around the slender body as Gus' eyes slowly fluttered closed, despite the constant thumpa-thumpa background still playing nearby.

"I'd better go find Mel or Lindsey so they can take him back up to the house," he told the two men.

"Of course," Fin told his son. "And I'll be looking forward to taking him on a ride soon."

Brian nodded at both of them silently before he turned with the precious cargo still in his arms and went in search of the two women.

Fin felt Tony reach for his hand as he clasped it silently in response. "I think you're on your way, Fin," he leaned over and whispered loud enough so his partner could hear. "You two are definitely making progress." He gazed into the steel-gray eyes. "How's it feel?"

Fin felt the tears stinging his eyes as he took a deep breath and turned to his lover, not afraid to show the emotion clearly etched on his face. "It feels really good, Baby," he said, smiling, twisting his mouth affectionately as he gazed at the blond.

Tony smiled as he reached up to cup the other man's face. "I'm glad," he told him as he quickly finished off the last of his cake. "Now why don't we say our goodbyes to some of the guests and blow this joint so we can go home and I can make you feel even _better_?"

Fin waggled his eyebrows in mock horror. "Why, Counselor, are you trying to seduce me by suggesting we engage in one of my favorite workout activities?"

Tony beamed. "You always _were_ very perceptive, Senator. Let's go give our best wishes to the two newlyweds and then leave; this joint isn't the _only_ thing I'd like to blow."

Fin laughed as he took his partner's hand in his. "Well, in _that_ case, expediency is my middle name. Lead the way, Counselor."

* * *

_Thirty Minutes Later – Near the bar area_

"Ah, hem." The two men turned their flushed faces toward the distinctive clearing of a throat.

"Honeycutt, you have impeccable timing," an irritated voice responded from the shadows.

"Why, thank you very much, Brian; I believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Emmett replied, smiling, as he added in a stage whisper, "Of course, that's not saying very much." He waited as Brian shielded Justin's body from his prying gaze while he gave the blond enough time to zip his pants back up.

"Uh, can't you see we're a little busy here?" Brian growled, glancing longingly back at the swollen, thoroughly-kissed lips of his partner, who grinned over at their friend somewhat sheepishly. He and Brian had just had a 15-minute make-out session away from the prying eyes of their guests, and his body was screaming for release. He had just been about to receive what would no doubt be the first of many blow jobs this evening from his new husband when their wedding planner had unfortunately chosen just this untimely moment to interrupt.

"Sorry, Sweetie," Em apologized to his friend. "But some of the guests are leaving now and they're all looking for the newlyweds to wish them well and say goodbye." He eyed them with amusement as Justin blushed slightly. "Uh….you boys think you can tear yourselves away from your _urgent business_ long enough to say au revoir to them?"

"We'll be right there," Justin assured him as Brian glared back at him in return. As soon as Emmett had left, Brian muttered, "We have a little unfinished business here, too, you know, Sunshine." He reached over to possessively squeeze Justin's cock through his pants as the blond squirmed in response.

"Brian!" he scolded him breathlessly. "You're not helping the situation here." Silently, he actually preferred to remain where he was so they could finish what they had started, but he knew Em would come looking for them if they didn't move soon.

"I thought that was _exactly_ what I was doing," Brian countered, smirking as he ignored Justin's comment and continued to massage the rapidly-hardening member through the thin dress fabric.

Justin couldn't help moaning at the intense sensation as he almost blindly reached out to place his hands on Brian's shoulders for support when his legs quickly threatened to turn to jelly. "You don't play fair, Brian," he struggled to breathe out.

"All's fair in love and fucking, Sunshine," he chuckled against Justin's stomach as he began to slowly slide down the lithe body to kneel on the floor of the makeshift bar area; they had returned to their previous "scene of their crime," the secluded corner of the bar where they could engage in a little one-on-one action in private without fear of being disturbed - at least when it came to everyone else except for a rather persistent wedding planner….

Justin's body temperature shot up as he realized what Brian was about to do. He reached out to grab a tuft of Brian's hair on the top of his head and gave it an urgent tug. "Brian!" he gulped out as he felt a rush of cool air on his stomach where the brunet had his shirt pushed up and his palm pressed against the exposed flesh; his muscles quivered where Brian made lazy circles around it with one of his experienced, warm hands. "You heard Emmett!" he stammered, trying to think. "He needs us to say…..to say, uh, goodbye to the guests." He was having trouble concentrating at the moment because Brian had reopened his pants and was slowly tugging them downward to expose his cock again.

"Well, I have needs too," Brian argued huskily against his legs.

He gasped as Brian wrapped his free hand around his ass and he felt a warm, wet mouth encircle him tightly. "Fuck, Brian!" he groaned out. His pulse raced as Brian's chuckle came out as a hum on his lips and the vibration against his cock made him even harder as his husband slowly drove him insane with desire. Brian's only other response to Justin's cry was to start sliding his wet, hot lips up and down on his shaft as Justin turned his head from side to side in an overwhelming flow of pleasure.

The combination of Brian's ministrations with his mouth and the feel of his hand kneading his fleshy ass made him come a few minutes later as he cried out and sagged in Brian's skillful hands, a spineless, emotionally charged mess. The loud cry of ecstasy was fortunately drowned out by the loud band and the boisterous guests as Brian pulled his mouth from Justin's cock a few moments later and slowly rose to his feet with a smug look of satisfaction.

He pulled Justin's pants and briefs back up to zip them closed before reaching to take the slender blond in his arms. As he wrapped his owns hands around his husbands' back, Brian reveled in the rapidly beating heartbeat as Justin sighed and nuzzled his head against his chest for a few moments, his insistence earlier that they accede to Emmett's request temporarily forgotten.

Brian closed his eyes briefly as he rested his chin on top of Justin's head, marveling at how such a simple gesture could fill him with so much contentment. He hadn't even been sucked off yet, but surprisingly at the moment he didn't care; it occurred to him then that perhaps at last he was finally learning the true meaning of love - making someone else happy by putting their needs above his own. And for this man - this incredible man - he would always do that willingly.

He heard Justin emit one additional long sigh before he felt the blond reluctantly pull away from him. As he loosely held him in his arms, he gazed down at the satiated look on his lover's face and smiled. "Feeling pretty good at the moment, Sunshine?" he whispered as he curled his lips under; Justin's present expression was a cross between bliss and almost drunkenness as soft blue eyes stared up at him almost dreamily.

"Yeah…..Pretty _damn_ good, actually," he confided as Brian gave a short laugh at his response.

He reached down to push some hair out of Justin's eyes as he smiled and said, "Weren't we supposed to be doing some _other_ sort of husbandly thing?"

Justin frowned before his eyes widened and Brian chuckled. "Shit! We were supposed to go say goodbye to our guests!" He smacked Brian's chest with his hand as he scolded him, "You deliberately diverted my attention to try and get out of it, didn't you?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Brian countered. "I don't exactly see you complaining about it." He raised his eyebrows in a silent challenge to his statement.

Justin glared at him, but he knew his initial protest was quickly disappearing, "They're going to think we're awfully rude," he tried to argue.

Brian snorted. "No, they're either going to be too drunk to care or they're going to realize we're doing what we always do when we're together – getting into each other's pants."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Well, at least getting into _my_ pants," he pointed out, glancing down at Brian's still rock-hard cock. "I think I may need to reciprocate the favor."

Brian smirked at him. "Well, if you insist…..I don't want to seem uncooperative on my wedding day." He reached down to begin unzipping his pants, but a slender hand stopped him.

"Let me," Justin whispered almost shyly as he reached down and began undoing the brunet's pants. Brian couldn't help from touching Justin as he proceeded to deftly take hold of his waistband and briefs and free his throbbing organ from its captivity; he placed his hands on Justin's shoulders until the blond gazed up at him intently and, just like Brian had done earlier, he slowly slunk down to the ground on his knees and wrapped one hand around the small of Brian's back and the other around his purplish, leaking cock.

As he felt the skilled, hot and wet mouth of his husband proceed to do its magic on him, he twisted some of the silky blond hair in his hand in rhythm with Justin's ministrations. Between his husband's perfectly-proportioned mouth, his warm hand drawing small circles on his back, and his other hand caressing his balls, Brian knew he wouldn't last long. In what seemed like record time, he felt his body tighten with impending orgasm and he came soon afterward with a loud groan of sensual pleasure as he almost violently fisted Justin's hair.

As Justin finished swallowing the last remnant of his seed, he pulled Brian's briefs and pants back up and fastened them before rising up to smile in contentment at the other man.

"I now pronounce us husband and husband," Brian quipped, as he leaned down to plant a deep kiss on the plump, smiling, pink lips.

Their private interlude was rudely interrupted just then by the squelch of the band's microphone. A familiar voice was heard saying, "Attention, attention! If anyone has seen two missing newlyweds who refuse to adhere to proper wedding etiquette, will you please drag them forward? Thank you."

Justin snorted in amusement as Brian rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whose idea was it again to hire Emmy Lou for our wedding?" he asked, as Justin gazed back at him innocently with a _who, me?_ look.

"Come on, Mr. Kinney," Justin chastised him softly as he took a hold of his sleeve and began to tug him out from behind the tufted, white leather partition. "I think we need to make an appearance." As Brian looked at him imploringly, he said, "It's just for a little longer," he soothed, amused at Brian's look of reluctance. "You just had a blowjob," he pointed out reasonably.

"And your point is?" Brian asked.

Justin made an incredulous grunt as he pulled Brian more firmly along. "It'll only hurt for a little while," he told him, smiling.

"Yeah, that's what they said when they pulled my ball out," Brian muttered as he reluctantly allowed himself to be led back around toward the side of the tent where they had initially came in. As they got closer, Justin could see Emmett's face relaxing in relief as the two missing men finally decided to make an appearance. The remaining guests broke out into applause as Justin smiled back at them a little guiltily. Brian, of course, merely raised one eyebrow and bowed slightly in acknowledgement as they eventually took their place side by side just inside the tent, his hand automatically reaching around Justin's back to hold him gently to his body as if in an invisible, silent show of love and protection.

Brian managed to behave himself for the next several minutes as he graciously accepted the congratulations and parting best wishes of various guests until finally the room had emptied out substantially. It seemed that once the band had wrapped up its performance, and the free-flowing booze had eventually petered out, the guests saw that as their not-so-subtle signal to leave.

He ran his hand over his face a little wearily as the last of the current guests in line left to depart for his vehicle parked nearby. Only a few close friends and family remained now, interspersed with a small number of wait staff from the catering company Emmett had employed for the catering and subsequent cleanup detail.

"There they are," Tony whispered to his partner, as he grabbed his sleeve to get Fin's attention. They had been about to give up on locating the pair and leave when Tony noticed them near the side entrance. The two men walked up to the newlyweds as Fin extended his hand out to his son.

"Brian, it's been very enjoyable," his father told him sincerely as the younger man reached out to return the gesture; their hands gripped each other's firmly as father and son stared into each other's eyes. Fin thought he saw a fleeting flicker of emotion behind the hazel orbs before Brian broke their grip and nodded.

"Tony," he said to the younger man as he turned to acknowledge Fin's partner and the two shook hands briefly.

As they broke their grip, Tony turned to Justin and smiled at him warmly as they walked a few steps away to speak privately. "Thank you for including us," he told the artist as he shook hands with him firmly. "We had a great time." Just being able to be out in public with his lover and actually dance, laugh, and enjoy each other's company had meant so much to him; it had been a special evening for him as well as for the newlyweds. He looked over at his partner and Brian; the two men were still conversely quietly together.

"I think we've made some headway tonight, don't you?" he asked softly as he nodded his head toward father and son.

Justin turned his gaze to look upon his new husband and the senator as he smiled in agreement. "Yes, I think so," he replied, his heart soaring that at last it seemed his wedding present to Brian was finally becoming a reality. Oh, he knew the two men had a long way to go yet, but even the small baby steps the two had taken recently were so much more meaningful than a lifetime would have been with Brian's asshole of an adoptive father.

"Well, I'll do whatever I can to encourage their relationship," Tony assured him, gazing over at the handsome pair of bookends nearby. "I think they're both stubborn as hell, but they're also good for each other." He turned to look into the eyes of his young friend and smiled. "They owe you a big debt, Justin – and so do I."

Justin frowned as he shook his head slightly. "A big debt? How so?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah….if you hadn't found that paper and insisted on tracking Fin down, I'm sure he would have never found out about Brian. And if I hadn't called him out on it afterward, I think he would have persisted in keeping his secret about being gay, as well as keeping our relationship in the dark. Thanks to you, I don't have to hide in the shadows any longer." He felt his eyes tearing up as he added, "You don't know how much of a burden that was, and how fucking great it feels now." He knew he and Fin would have a difficult road ahead with his campaign just gearing up, but at least now they would be able to combat it together. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

Justin felt embarrassed as he tried to shrug off the profuse statement of gratitude. "I did it for Brian mainly to make him happy; he deserves a real family after what he went through." He glanced once more at father and son, who continued to engage in polite conversation as he added, "I'm just so glad they seem to be making an attempt to get to know each other better."

Tony clamped a hand on Justin's shoulder in mutual camaraderie before saying, "So am I." He noticed Justin yawning as he hastily tried to cover his mouth. "We'd better get going," he told the younger man. "Looks like you've had a long day."

Justin admitted, "Yeah, I guess it's finally catching up with me – I was so wired this morning that I was up before 6:00." He gazed over at Brian; he could tell by his somewhat stooped stature and the faint creases on his face that he was beginning to feel the effects as well. "We've got a plane to catch early tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Tony said. "Where are you two going on your honeymoon? Fin asked me earlier but I told him I didn't know."

"That's make _three_ of us, then – you, Fin, and me," he said surprisingly. "Talk about stubborn – a certain someone is refusing to tell me what he's got planned. I don't know whether to be excited as all get out or nervous as hell. I think maybe a mixture of both is safest."

"Brian hasn't told you where you're going on your honeymoon?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, if it was anyone else, I'd say it was actually kind of romantic. But knowing Brian, I'd say it's more a case of wanting to torture me about it instead."

Tony chuckled as his partner and Justin's husband began to walk over to join them. "Yeah, I think you're right," he agreed. "I could definitely see Fin pulling something like that, too." _That is, if the man would ever get married at all_, Tony thought wistfully. He had managed to push that wish out of his mind for the past few hours, but it was never completely hidden; his most desired hope was to one day experience the same exact thrill that Justin had felt today.

"Ready to go, Counselor?" Fin asked him as he reached his side and lightly placed his hand around his waist.

Tony smiled at the gesture as he nodded back at him. "Yeah, I'm ready. Congratulations, you two," he said to Brian and Justin. "And I'd love to hear all about your trip when you get back, Justin – once you find out where you're going," he teased. Fin gave him a strange look as he whispered to him, "I'll explain it to you later."

Brian turned to Justin as they walked away. "You told him, didn't you?"

Justin snorted. "What's to tell? I don't _know_ anything. You _are_ planning on at least telling me what to pack, aren't you? It might be nice to know what kind of weather to dress for."

"Doesn't matter," Brian told him pointedly as he stared into the amused eyes. "Wherever we're going, you won't need anything to wear," he stated huskily, evoking a slight shiver of anticipation from his husband.

"Oh, so you're just planning on holding me hostage in our hotel room and fucking me senseless?"

"Yeah," Brian whispered, tongue in cheek, as he rubbed against the side of Justin's soft cheek. "That's _exactly_ the kind of honeymoon I had in mind."

Justin closed his eyes briefly at the sensations flooding through his body; even now, just the simplest of touches or the sound of Brian's voice always set him immediately on fire. That was one more reason why it had never been a great idea for him to consider working permanently with him at Kinnetik; the two of them would have been so busy eye-fucking each other – or going at it like two animals in heat behind closed doors – that they would have _never _gotten any business done.

"Uh….I think I can live with that," he managed to whisper breathlessly at last as Brian smiled in triumph. Of course, both of them knew there would be more to it than that, but frankly, Justin really didn't care _where_ they went, as long as they went together. They had spent far too little precious time alone for the past several months, even though they were living together at Britin – between plans for the wedding, Brian's intense involvement with Kinnetik and his ever evolving relationship with his father, along with Justin's burgeoning art career, it seemed there was never enough time in the day for just the two of them. Just to be alone with his husband for two weeks, then, sounded heavenly, no matter _where_ they were going, especially since Brian had promised him he would not take his work with him like he typically did; he was adamant that he would rely, instead, on Ted, Cynthia, and the others to take care of Kinnetik while he was away.

"I knew you were a smart man," Brian was telling him as they noticed a small group of their friends approaching to say their goodbyes. Lindsey and Mel had long ago left with an extremely sleepy Gus to head back up to the house, and Sean and Kathy had left earlier, also. Despite Brian's offer to let them spend the night, they had told him they preferred to head home, promising to be in touch shortly upon the newlyweds' return home.

Michael and Ben had also departed about an hour ago, wanting to get home to their daughter and free up Hunter from his babysitting duties, while Daphne had reluctantly bid them goodbye as well, citing her need to return to her resident training early the next morning.

Debbie walked up with a big smile on her face and her arms outstretched, making a beeline for Brian as she rushed up and placed both hands on his cheeks to give him a big, lip-stained kiss. "You did it, you asshole!" she gushed. "You really fucking married Sunshine!"

Brian smirked as she finally released her hold on him to gaze up into his face. "You just now noticed that?" he teased. He shrugged. "Well, he was kind of hot, so I thought what the hell?"

"Yeah, right," she said, grinning as she looked over at a radiant Justin. "And the Wimbledon's just another tennis game."

"Boys," Carl said, nodding as he joined them. "We're going to get going. Congratulations again," he said as he shook both of their hands in turn. "Debbie, ready, honey?" he asked.

Debbie nodded. "Yeah, just a second," she replied as she walked a couple of feet over to Justin and hugged him tightly. As they embraced, she whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "I'm so fucking glad for you, Sunshine; but _he's_ the lucky one."

As they broke apart, Justin smiled at her through his tears. "Thanks, Deb," he told her softly. "We're _both_ lucky." She smiled at him tenderly before turning to Brian with one last piece of advice. "He's priceless, Brian, don't fuck this up!" she warned him with one well-lacquered finger.

"Yes, Mother," he said softly with just the hint of a smile. She stared at him for a couple of seconds before, satisfied, she nodded and, taking Carl's arm, quietly walked away.

"Where was she when I needed to know our honeymoon destination?" Justin grumbled as Brian turned to look at him with a grin. The brunet looked to Justin's side before saying, "Uh, oh. Mother No. 2 approaching at six o'clock."

Justin turned around to see his mother walking up with his sister and Tucker; she smiled as they reached the couple, pulling her son to her with a fierce hug. "We're heading out, Honey," she told the blond; she gave a small grunt as she squeezed him tightly for a second before letting go. "It was a beautiful wedding and reception," she told him. "I'm so happy for both of you."

Justin smiled. "Thanks, Mom – that makes two of us." He glanced over at Brian before adding, "Three of us, actually."

She turned to face Brian and give him a short hug before saying, "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you." She stared into the hazel eyes for a few seconds before adding softly, "I'm glad I finally got my son-in-law after all. Although….maybe if you were a little younger, it wouldn't make me feel quite so old right now."

Brian grinned as he curled his lips under. "Sorry, _Mom_, but I'm not returning him. I've gotten used to his cooking by now."

She laughed. "I have a feeling his cooking wasn't the big attraction," she answered as Justin blushed a little. "But that's okay….I've kind of gotten used to you, too." She gave Brian a kiss on the cheek as she whispered, "Take good care of him."

He gazed over at his husband before answering sincerely, "I will – I promise."

She nodded as they broke their embrace and the two men exchanged goodbyes with Justin's sister and Tucker. As the three strode away, at last the two newlyweds were left with only a handful of catering personnel and Emmett, who was diligently supervising the cleanup activities.

Brian let out a breath. "Well, that was one hell of a party, Sunshine," he decided as he pulled Justin into his arms and gazed down at the tired but happy blue eyes. "I think we had more homos and heteros here than they had at the last anti-marriage rally in the Pitts."

Justin grinned. "And I think they got along a little better, too."

He commented, "Well, its amazing what a little booze, food, and dancing will do in the name of unity." Brian looked tenderly into Justin's face, observing his somewhat tired, drawn look. "I think someone could use some sleep before our big adventure tomorrow," he commented. "Wherever that might be," he kidded him mysteriously, enjoying the look of frustration on his husband's face.

"So I guess that means you're not going to give me just a little hint?" he asked hopefully, knowing he was wasting his time.

"Nope," Brian promptly responded, linking his hands behind Justin's back to pull him even closer; he grinned as he noticed one particular part of Justin's anatomy was quite alert at the moment, despite his lover's tiredness.

Justin sighed, trying hard not to notice the effect Brian's body rubbing against his was having on him; but, then again, he noticed he wasn't the _only_ one with the same problem. "Well, then, I guess there's nothing left to do but just go up to the house and go to sleep, then."

"Wrong, Blond Boy!" Brian growled softly; Justin groaned as he ground their cocks together for emphasis. "I'm not getting married to someone who's not willing to put out on their wedding night." His eyes twinkled as he gazed solemnly at the man being held in his arms.

Justin laughed softly. "Oh, you aren't, are you?"

Brian gazed into the blue eyes as he grinned and shook his head in silent reply; the ebbing flicker of the candles and the chandelier overhead cast flecks of silver-white light into Justin's eyes, making them even more amazing than they normally were, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the mesmerizing, glowing face staring back at him so lovingly. Thoughts of continuing their light-hearted banter suddenly disappeared as he stared at the incredible man in front of him before whispering softly, "I love you so fucking much, you know that?"

Justin sniffed a little before smiling back at him radiantly through unshed tears. "Ditto, Mr. Kinney," he finally managed to say before he reached up with his right hand to pull Brian's head down into a deep kiss. His left hand, adorned with the gleaming token of their love, covered Brian's heart which was beating rapidly in response.

As they finally broke apart a few minutes later, Brian said, "Let's continue this celebration in private, shall we?" Justin smiled as, hand-in-hand, they slowly turned and walked out of what remained of the now-empty arena and toward their house – their home – their _forever_ home.

* * *

_A/N: I have decided to conclude this story here because I will be writing a sequel to it shortly that will involve, among other things, the honeymoon, Fin's run for governor, and the ever-changing relationship not only between father and son but also Tony and Fin. I want to thank everyone who has read and especially reviewed this story and hope you will stay tuned for the continuation.:) I would love to hear your parting thoughts as well - thanks again to all my readers - your continuing support is what keeps me writing these!_


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